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Hauora and physical education in New Zealand: perspectives of Māori and Pasifika

Abstract
Discussion surrounding the concept of Hauora (Durie, 1994) in the document Health and Physical Education in the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 1999) has been controversial. Some writers have praised or justified its inclusion (Culpan, 1996/1997; Tasker, 1996/1997; Tinning, MacDonald, Wright & Hickey, 2001), while others accuse the writers of tokenism and misappropriation of indigenous knowledge (Hokowhitu, 2004; Salter, 2000). While existing at a political level, these debates have generally ignored student responses to and interactions with Hauora. Thus, this article intervenes in the existing debate and makes the case for the inclusion of student perspectives. My claims are made on the basis of a study into the perspectives of Māori and Pasifika students of physical education in New Zealand. The experiences of these students are related to the theory of hybridity (Besley, 2002; Bhabha, 1994), which suggests that young people actively negotiate and make critical decisions about what they think is relevant to them. I argue that the debate surrounding the concept of Hauora needs to include students' perspectives and consideration of the agency of young people in interactions with curriculum concepts.
Type
Journal Article
Type of thesis
Series
Citation
Fitzpatrick, K. (2005). Hauora and physical education in New Zealand: perspectives of Māori and Pasifika students. Waikato Journal of Education, 11(2), 37-48.
Date
2005
Publisher
Faculty of Education, University of Waikato
Degree
Supervisors
Rights
© 2005 Waikato Journal of Education. It is posted here by permission for personal use.