Māori cultural concepts and service provision for homeless Māori men

Abstract

Homelessness is a pressing issue for indigenous minorities such as homeless Māori men. Their circumstances are more vulnerable in ways, than other homeless groups given that their lives are impacted upon by ongoing colonisation. Homeless Māori men, like other ‘indigenous homeless groups’, often find themselves homeless because of social/cultural dislocation where, they are disconnected from their culture and closest forms of support. This study set out to explore how homeless Māori men’s circumstances could be improved through administering interventions in the form of Māori cultural concepts like: manaakitanga, wairuatanga, whanaungatanga and whānau. The overall approach used to gather the research was based on hybridisation, where several different approaches were used simultaneously to generate research data. These were participant observation: a kaupapa Māori approach, semi structured interviewing, thematic analysis and the use of a socio-historical context to underpin the entire research process. Two groups of Māori participants were interviewed for this study, one group comprising staff members, and one made of homeless Māori men. Each group had a number of unique characteristics. For example, the entire staff group comprised skilled and qualified professionals, while the men’s group was made up of individuals with severely impoverished backgrounds. The study produced several conclusive findings to show how Māori cultural concepts were used successfully as forms of social interventions. Concepts like whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, wairuatanga and whānau, were shown to produce positive social outcomes for homeless Māori men. These outcomes helped the men to stabilise their lives, as they attempted reintegration.