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He puāwaitanga o ngā tamāriki : West Auckland whānau talk about child wellbeing Tim Jellyman and Tanya Allport

By: Jellyman, Tim.
Contributor(s): Allport, Tanya.
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: Auckland, New Zealand : Wai-Research, 2016Description: electronic document (41 pages) ; PDF file: 6.19 MB.ISBN: 978-0-473-37475-4.Subject(s): FAMILY VIOLENCE | TŪKINOTANGA Ā-WHĀNAU | TAMARIKI | Te Whānau o Waipareira Trust | CHILDREN | FAMILIES | HEALTH | MĀORI | WELLBEING | HAUORA | HAUORA WAIRUA | KŌHUNGAHUNGA | RANGAHAU MĀORI | WHĀNAU | NEW ZEALAND | AUCKLAND | WAITAKEREOnline resources: Click here to access online | Infographic | Media release Summary: "Background: Child wellbeing is widely held as an aspiration of society. Not surprisingly, health policies commonly set out to improve wellbeing across the population. Health and developmental indicators collate individual measurements to describe population status across various domains and related time-trends. These indicators however reflect a particular purpose and standpoint. Taking a qualitative approach we therefore aimed to better understand child wellbeing from the perspective of Urban Māori whānau. Methods: In partnership with an Urban Māori research unit and Māori facilitators, a series of focus groups of whānau of pre-schoolers were drawn from three different Māori community networks. Open prompts were used to stimulate conversation. Discussion ranged across whānau ideals and aspirations contrasting the lived realities for their tamariki, positive and negative influences on wellbeing and reflections on experiences with their contacts with services. Focus groups, held in community settings familiar to the participants, were audio-recorded and transcribed for analysis. The researchers independently read the transcripts for themes, responded with the facilitators to their experience of the focus groups and developed a consensus interpretation through active discussion. Findings were checked back with participants and community leaders. Results: Broad themes supported by text elements were considered in three main domains: whānau aspirations for child wellbeing; lived experience; and reflections on efforts to address that reality. Key concepts included the sense of connection for whānau, challenges living in their urban context and experiences of being stereotyped. Aspects identified as promoting wellbeing included practical support and whānau openness to receive help, aroha, stability, security and opportunity. Hindrances included lack of resources, exposure to drug and alcohol-related harms, family dysfunction and abuse. Some sentinel experiences with services were shared. Over and above the content themes, the discourse was characterised by overt enthusiasm of participants and collective insight developed around the construct of child wellbeing. Conclusion: Participating whānau were enthusiastic to contribute to this discussion. Child wellbeing is clearly very important to Māori. Some aspects Māori whānau identified as foundational for child wellbeing are not captured with current ‘measurement’ approaches. If communities are to participate meaningfully in the shared work of improving child wellbeing then their experience of wellbeing must be listened to, comprehended and articulated as a stimulus to further action." (Authors' abstract). An infographic and media release are also available. Record #5237
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"Background: Child wellbeing is widely held as an aspiration of society. Not surprisingly, health policies commonly set out to improve wellbeing across the population. Health and developmental indicators collate individual measurements to describe population status across various domains and related time-trends. These indicators however reflect a particular purpose and standpoint. Taking a qualitative approach
we therefore aimed to better understand child wellbeing from the
perspective of Urban Māori whānau.
Methods: In partnership with an Urban Māori research unit and
Māori facilitators, a series of focus groups of whānau of pre-schoolers were drawn from three different Māori community networks. Open prompts were used to stimulate conversation. Discussion ranged across whānau ideals and aspirations contrasting the lived realities for their tamariki, positive and negative influences on wellbeing and reflections on experiences with their contacts with services. Focus groups, held in community settings familiar to the participants, were audio-recorded and transcribed for analysis. The researchers independently read the transcripts for themes, responded with the facilitators to their experience of the focus groups and developed a consensus interpretation through active discussion. Findings were checked back with participants and community leaders.
Results: Broad themes supported by text elements were considered in three main domains: whānau aspirations for child wellbeing; lived experience; and reflections on efforts to address that reality. Key concepts included the sense of connection for whānau, challenges living in their urban context and experiences of being stereotyped. Aspects identified
as promoting wellbeing included practical support and whānau openness to receive help, aroha, stability, security and opportunity. Hindrances included lack of resources, exposure to drug and alcohol-related harms, family dysfunction and abuse.
Some sentinel experiences with services were shared. Over and above the content themes, the discourse was characterised by overt enthusiasm of participants and collective insight developed around the construct of child wellbeing.
Conclusion: Participating whānau were enthusiastic to contribute to this discussion. Child wellbeing is clearly very important to Māori. Some aspects Māori whānau identified as foundational for child wellbeing are not captured with current ‘measurement’ approaches. If communities are to participate
meaningfully in the shared work of improving child wellbeing then their experience of wellbeing must be listened to, comprehended and articulated as a stimulus to further action." (Authors' abstract). An infographic and media release are also available. Record #5237

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