The previous National-led government (2008-2017) in New Zealand introduced two policies that have had a significant impact upon indigenous Māori.  Whānau Ora utilises Māori concepts to address social problems in innovative ways that offer Māori an opportunity to determine what matters to them, while income management - which targets only young benefit recipients who are predominantly Māori and female - removes agency and assumes a cultural deficit.  This seminar analyses both policies, highlighting that although we might assume the former to be 'good' and the latter 'bad' for Māori​, the reality is more complex.  In particular, both represent a significant 'privatisation' of social services that is untested in the New Zealand context and holds both opportunities and risks for Māori.

Bio

Dr Louise Humpage is an Associate Professor in Sociology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.  She has written widely on welfare reform, indigenous affairs policy, refugee policy and settlement and citizenship.  She is currently part of an ARC project comparing income management in Australia and New Zealand.

Media

https://soundcloud.com/user-763545963/humpage