Kaupapa Māori: Fact or Fiction?

Abstract

Kaupapa Māori, is a term that surfaced within the educational realm but its concept is one that was derived from our tupuna. It is a contested term and has become common-place but what hasn't occurred is its 'defined meaning' and the context it should actually be observed in. The question that this research contemplated is, "Does kaupapa Māori actually exist?"

This study is a attempt to provide some meaning as to whether the definition of kaupapa Māori can be captured in a particular format, and to consider the possibility of a framework that reflects its importance and versatility within a Social Work paradigm and organisational premise.

A qualitative descriptive research study was undertaken. A combination of purposeful and expert sampling was utilised to select 9 participants, whilst semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve open-ended questions to facilitate the conversations during the interviews. Phenomenological analysis was used to explicit the data, and these were grouped into meanings which were categorised into themes.

Six broad themes were derived from the data and identified kaupapa Māori being factored into environmental, personal, Te Ao Māori tikanga, organisational, practice methods and framework tenets. All of the participants described kaupapa Māori as an inclusive part of their lies in some form on both a personal and professional level.