Te Pa Harakeke: Six Markers of Flourishing Whanau

Prof Te Kani Kingi, Director MaoriResearch Centre for Maori Health and DevelopmentMASSEY UNIVERSITY, WELLINGTON

29 May 2015

Flourishing

Flourishing

Flourishing

Flourishing

?

Defining Flourishing Families

“Families that are vibrant, resilient, nurturing and optimistic about the future”

Markers of Flourishing Families

Economically secureCohesive

SafeRelational

IndependentAspirational

Markers of Flourishing Whanau

Economically secureCohesive

SafeRelational

IndependentAspirational

Whanau HeritageWhanau WealthWhanau CapacitiesWhanau CohesionWhanau ConnectednessWhanau Resilience

Marker 1: Whanau HeritageWhanau will flourish when they are strengthened by a distinctive

heritage

• Whanau whakapapa connections • Access to cultural skills and

knowledge (te reo, tikanga, waiata)

• Whanau links to customary land• Access to Urupa or whanau

taonga• Associations with Māori

institutions

Marker 2: Whanau WealthWhanau will flourish when they have sufficient wealth to enable high

standards of living

• Whanau assets such as land, buildings, shares

• Whanau incomes• Whanau financial reserves• Whanau housing and

ownership• Access to Māori trust funds

and whanau investment portfolios

Marker 3: Whanau CapacitiesWhanau will flourish when they have the capacity to fully participate in

society

• Celebrate external achievements (educational or sporting)

• Whanau that have positive lifestyles

• Whanau employment (not just income)

• Whanau that feel part of their community

• Embracing society and not being overwhelmed by it…

Marker 4: Whanau CohesionWhanau will flourish when they are cohesive, practice whanaungatanga,

and are able to foster positive intergenerational transfers

• Quality relationships within households and within the wider whanau (respect)

• The positive use of on-line communication systems

• Opportunities for whanau living elsewhere to participate in whanau life

• Positive whanau leadership• Whanau events and participation in those

events• Involvement in whanau traditions• Whanau wananga

Marker 5: Whanau ConnectednessWhanau will flourish when their connections beyond the whanau lead to

empowerment

• Whanau utilisation of societal institutions ( eg, schools and healthcare) and facilities (sports grounds, gyms)

• Whanau participation in community affairs

• Whanau exercising citizenship rights (voting)

• Whanau contributions to community boards, committees and voluntary efforts

• An ability to embrace their community and society

Marker 6: Whanau ResilienceWhanau will flourish when they are able to overcome adversity and adapt

of changing circumstances

• Whanau planning for the future• Evidence of positive whanau

change over time• Opportunities for the transmission

of knowledge and values across generations

• To encounter and successfully overcome adversity

• Enduring whanau leadership and resilience

Wellington29th May 2015

A/Prof Te Kani KingiDirector Maori

Director Research Centre for Maori Health and Development

MASSEY UNIVERSITYWELLINGTON

Te Pa Harakeke: Six Markers of Flourishing Whanau

Next Superu Event …

Next Seminar – 24 July:‘Growing Up in New Zealand’ – new research

New Zealand's contemporary longitudinal study tracking the development of approximately 7,000 children

Assoc Prof Susan Morton – will present on latest the ‘Vulnerability Report’

Superu will present on ‘maternal alcohol use during pregnancy’