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Imagining Pākehātanga: how to be where you are

Abstract
Imagining Pākehātanga: how to be where you are is a creative practice thesis in which I explore the question: in what ways can I imagine Pākehātanga through personal experiences and shared family practices? In framing the contemporary context of Aotearoa / New Zealand I draw on literature relating to Decolonising Theory and Pākehātanga, leading to the development of a research design based on autoethnographic performance. The research was carried out in three phases using the following methods: individual interviews with family members; a session involving a thematic research conversation with a group of my family members; and creative practice throughout the project. The last phase culminated in an evening of autoethnographic performance incorporating creative writing, poetry and song. The performance script and an audiovisual recording of the performance are integrated with the written thesis text. Throughout the thesis, my creative writing weaves with my academic writing, revealing three clear responses to the research question: naming, listening, and longing. These responses function interdependently, together showing the potential for an infinite motion of imagination in action and possibilities for Pākehā practising a relational way of being. This is my quest of how to be, how to be where I am.
Type
Thesis
Series
Citation
Date
2024
Publisher
The University of Waikato
Rights
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