Doctoral Projects

Hana Mereraiha Skerrett-White ( Ngā Tahu, Ngāti Pikiao, Tainui, Taranaki), University of Canterbury

The sociology of te reo Māori is the study of the relations between te reo Māori and Māori society, Māori values, Māori worldviews, Māori knowledge and Māori identities. In those terms, the object of this study would be Māori society and the impact of a colonising language, English, on te reo Māori. That would provide the impetus for language survival strategies in a language revitalisation endeavour.

In terms of this study, which incorporates sociological perspectives through an ethnolinguistic lens, it is closely related to the field of sociolinguistics which focuses on the effect of societal change on te reo Māori, the emphasis given in this study.

Moana Rarere (Rongomaiwahine, Nga.ti Kahungunu ki Wairoa/ki Heretaun a, Tiihoe, N ati Whare, Te O okorehe), Waikato University

My doctorate critically reviews Maori birth patterns in demography. Since the late 1970s Maori births have gradually converged to levels similar to Pakeha. However, important differences persist. Most notably, wahine Maori birth their babies earlier, and over a longer period of time. This doctoral study asks: What are the key factors that have sustained Maori fertility patterns? While I account for demographic and economic factors, my primary focus is on understanding the potential influence of cultural identity, which has received little attention in demographic studies. 

Tania Cliffe-Tautari (Tania Cliffe-Tautari), The University of Auckland

The purpose of this scoping exercise is to explore the research potential of a key issue emerging from my PhD thesis which was titled ‘Cultural identity as a resilience factor to reduce Māori youth offending’. One research area highlighted in my PhD is that there is a need to explore how Māori learners at risk of educational disengagement transition from Māori-medium and bilingual education settings to mainstream classrooms.

Research findings from my PhD indicated that rangatahi Māori felt that there was a lack of support provided due to being a second language learner of English. They felt that this impacted on their under achievement in the classroom. Consequently influencing their disengagement in education. Therefore, this scoping exercise will primarily be targeted towards Māori young people and children who have been in the care system and are at risk of future offending.

May Jane McKenzie (Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou), Te ;Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi

Ka arotahi teneki tuhinga whakapae ki te whakawhanaketanga o nga rangatira o te hapii o Ngati Haka ki Tawhia o te iwi o Ngai Tiihoe. Kai te kitea te memehatanga o te pae karanga, o te pae korero, me te pae tioriori o te marae. Kotahi te patai mo teneki tuhinga - He aha te rangatira?

‘Hua o te Kawariki’ explores Ngāti Whātua mātauranga to inform future teaching, learning and leadership. Grounded in the prophetic mōteatea He aha te hau, this research draws on the wisdom of Ngāti Whātua mātanga to shape the vision for a potential Ngāti Whātua curriculum and kura ecosystem.

Sharron’s doctoral research is a strengths-based study called ‘Hauora: A Ngāti Kahungunu perspective’ and the research question is, “What is the relationship between kaupapa Māori community-led initiatives and Māori notions of hauora and how can this mātauranga-ā-iwi inform Te Ara Toiora, the Ngāti Kahungunu Wellbeing Strategy?”