Cultural
sensitivity and indigenous learners
Laurie’s
Flexible learning: September
2012
From my perspective, nursing as a profession is
under-represented by Māori, Pacifica, Asian and other minority groups. I have
no idea what the breakdown of ethnicities in our School is currently, but I
would be surprised if it comes anywhere near representing the ethnic breakdown
of NZ society. However, Otago does not have a high percentage of minority
groups in the population to call on. BUT
given that not all our students come or will continue to live in the
Otago region, we as a School, should be preparing our students to be able to
provide good, culturally safe nursing practice to all the clients/patients (and
now called consumers) in the health arena.
The last census was taken in 2006 and the following graph
shows the ethnic breakdown of Dunedin and NZ (NZ Statistics, 2006)
Ethnic Groups in Dunedin City, 2006
Census
|
|
|
Male
(%)
|
Female
(%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
77.4
|
80.1
|
|
|
6.7
|
6.2
|
|
|
2.4
|
2.1
|
|
|
5.1
|
5.6
|
|
|
Middle Eastern/Latin
American/African
|
|
0.8
|
0.6
|
|
|
|
14.6
|
12.5
|
|
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
14.6
|
12.5
|
|
Ethnic Groups in New Zealand, 2006
Census
|
|
|
Male
(%)
|
Female
(%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
66.7
|
68.4
|
|
|
14.6
|
14.7
|
|
|
7.0
|
6.8
|
|
|
9.0
|
9.4
|
|
|
Middle Eastern/Latin
American/African
|
|
1.0
|
0.8
|
|
|
|
11.8
|
10.4
|
|
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
|
Total
|
11.9
|
10.5
|
|
Professor Mason Durie (2009) stated that tertiary or higher
education, has changed over the last decade and instead of isolating and
excluding Māori , the sector is now in a position where they/we should promote
social cohesion and prepare Māori students to be potential leaders and role
models. He said that although there are still significant gaps in the education
outcomes for Māori , curriculum’s are more inclusive of Māori issues, with more Māori students enrolled in tertiary education, and
there is more research being completed by and for Māori .
“There has been a deliberate attempt to build on
those indigenous foundations that have continuing relevance for new generations
of Māori living in urban situations, and to reshape higher educational
institutions as places where Māori culture, learning and aspirations can flourish.”
( Durie, 2009; p.3).
Durie is one of the most influential researchers/academics advocating
for Māori and other minority groups in NZ. He lays down a challenge for the tertiary
education sector to reduce barriers for Māori, and claims that they need to reduce
socio-economic barriers for students and for
the sector to embrace indigenous worldviews in order for “pedagogies, research methodologies, campus facilities, and the academic
staff can endorse cultural identity and inspire students” ( Durie, 2009; p.
4).
This is the challenge for nursing to aim to
meet. I believe that both these factors can be met by the institutions
themselves by providing subsidies and scholarships for indigenous students and
to ensure that the pedagogies are inclusive rather than mono-cultural. The
latter is close to the heart of the School of Nursing curricula and it is up to
individual lecturers to embrace the various worldviews. I do this by ensuring
that models of Māori health (Whare Tapu
Wha) are included in lectures on family violence and in the primary health
tutorials that I give, and by role modelling sound culturally sensitive
practice. An example of the latter is that recently I have been working with 1st
year students in the clinical laboratories, and I noticed that the students
have become very lax in not ensuring good standards of cultural safety. For
instance as a new lecturer in the labs, many of the students don’t know me and
were sitting on tables and the beds, and I have been able to change the culture
to ensure they are respectful and set more professional rules of behaviour in
the labs.
The Māori Tertiary Education Framework (MTEF) (2003)
is a strategic document that guides the direction for the tertiary education
sector and provides a resource for Education. There are three tiers to guide
the sector with the first tier providing general advice on how the framework
can be applied. The second tier commences by quoting Durie’s vision for the
sector as:
·
“To live as Māori
·
To actively participate as citizens of the world
·
To enjoy a high standard of living and good health” (Ministry of education, 2003, p. 14)
The third tier provides the 5 guiding principles
for this document, these are;
·
Ngā
Kawenga or responsibilities where the sector is accountable for and to Māori
·
Tino Rangatiratanga or
authority/self determination by supporting Māori to make their own decisions
·
Toi
Te Mana or ability to influence and
empower Māori to have an influence on
the curriculum
·
Mana Tiriti /Ahu
Kāwanatanga or contribution/partnership to have a shared vision
·
Whakanui or respect and
inclusiveness in the education sector.
Following this the Ministry of Education identifies 7 key
priority areas for the tertiary education sector to aim for; these are Māori advancement, leadership, sustainability,
Kuapapa services, inclusive learning environments, life-long learning pathways
and Māori -centred learning. I will discuss only one of these areas, that being
inclusive learning environments. I bleive all these priority areas are part of
OP’s vision. I have attended several Treaty of Waitangi and Tikanga workshops
over the years and always find them inspiring. I try to ensure that I pronounce
names and te Reo words as accurately as possible and I encourage students to be
familiar with the various models of health like Whare Tapu Wha. I am aware that
I need to continually upskill my knowledge in order to pass this on to my
students and to ensure that my teaching and nursing practice is culturally safe.
References:
Durie, M. (2009). Towards social cohesion: The
indigenisation of higher education in New Zealand. Presentation to Vice Chancellor’s forum.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Retrieved from: http://www.universitiesnz.ac.nz/files/aper_for_ACU_Forum_-_Towards_Social_Cohesion.pdf.
Ministry of Education. (2003). Māori Tertiary
Education Framework: A report by the Māori Tertiary Education reference group.
Ministry of Education; Wellington, New Zealand