Flashcards in Topic 2 - Tirohanga Maori (Maori Health Perspectives) Deck (20):
What are the categories of attributes that Maori have/are born with according the reading by Mead (2003)
1. attributes that identify the person
2. attributes that are linked to spirituality
What are the attributes of identity according to Mead (2003) reading?
1. Ira tangata = the human life and genes inherited from parents
2. Whakapapa = social component of genes (family history from mum and dad)
3. Tūrangawaewae = the place/location where one belongs
4. Pūmanawa = natural inherited traits (eg woodcarver from dad, temper from uncle etc)
What are the spiritual attributes according to Mead (2003) reading?
1. Tapu = inherited from Maori parents; a state of balance means good tapu
2. Mana = Pride
3. Mauri = Life spark
4. Wairua = Spirit
5. Hau = wind/spirit of life/invisible aura
What is the source of tapu?
Primeval parents - Rangi and Papa and their children (The gods - Tāne, Tangaroa, Tūmatauenga, and Tāwhirimātea)
There are two types of tapu - high and low level - what does this mean for the individual according to Mead (2003)
High level of tapu - well respected, well known = less likely to be assaulted
Low level of tapu - less well known = vulnerable, abused, picked on
Does tapu support Mauri?
Yes - it is a sacred life force which touches on the mauri (an individuals spark of life)
How can tapu be damaged?
Poor performance bringing shame to the iwi (eg breaking the law, breaking maori protocol)
How can bad tapu be healed?
Through a church minister saying a karakia
Righting wrongs/resroing balance with hapu or whanau
What are some practices of tapu?
1. Washing clothing and cooking linen separately
2. Not washing the baby or the nappies in the kitchen sink
3. Collecting the afterbirth and burying the whenua of the child in the right place
4. Observing tribal practice with a new birth eg karakia, ringing social unit together, considering whakapapa name for child
5. Not burning hair and collecting from hairdresser
6. Protecting child from harm/accident. Traditional times harm was punishable by muru
7. Menstruating women - not collecting seafood or garden to work or horseriding
8. Not sitting on kitchen table
9. Not putting combs or brushes on kitchen table
What are things that are tapu about the body?
1. Not passing things over someones head
2. Sex organs, but not the breasts
3. Not patting someones head
5. Childbirth (mother, child and placenta need to be properly attended to)
Explain some details about the tapu of death?
Death escalates the level of tapu to maximum.
1. Personal effects buried or burned or given to Pakeha
2. Whakapapa books might be destroyed
3. Heirlooms given to family for safekeeping
4. Karakia to protect family
5. Whakatea ceremony over house (clear away lingering tapu of deceased)
Describe what the mauri is?
Life force bound to an individual which allows heart to beat, blood to flow, food to be digested, energy expended, limbs to move etc
What is wairua?
What are the characteristics of Wairua?
1. part of the whole person (not in a single body location)
3. power to warn of danger through dreams/visions
4. subject to attack
What is tuku wairua?
Releasing the spirit upon death through a ceremony
What is the meaning of medicalization of health?
Passive consumers and the treatment of illness
Advances in health would come from advances in medicine.
What is the meaning of the institutionalization of health?
Large hospitals a feature from 1930's
An answer to health issues
Medicalising natural procedures eg childbirth and long stays afterwards
What are the negatives of institutionalised health?
Removing care from the community
Robbed local initiatives
Large money spent on maintaining large institutions
What is meant by the term professionalization with regards to Maori thought?
Maori recognise the importance of culture and assumes those that come to help will have this knowledge and understand local issues.
Health professionals sometimes lack this and are too quick to try and lead, thereby robbing local initiative and a slant that is irrelevant to Maori