The koru model: The stages of biculturation for foreign-trained social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11157/anzswj-vol33iss3id889Keywords:
Transnational social work, acculturation, indigenous, Ma ?ori, biculturalism, biculturationAbstract
INTRODUCTION: This article reports on a project which explored the process of “biculturation” (settling into a country with a bicultural mandate for social work practice) for 20 foreign-trained social workers who moved to Aotearoa New Zealand. This article details the particular theme of stages that the participants navigated in new terrain working within a bicultural framework with Māori.
METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 20 foreign-trained social workers who had moved to Aotearoa New Zealand to practise social work. A thematic analysis was undertaken with the use of NVivo software.
FINDINGS: Participants reported negotiating phases consistent with the international literature on acculturation. Particular challenges were noted regarding coming to terms with the impact of colonisation and the difference between bicultural and multicultural approaches.
CONCLUSION: These stages have been represented by the various phases of growth of the fronds of a ponga tree described as the koru model. The stages described should be of use to social workers (or other professionals) who have shifted from one country to another, or
are thinking about such a move. This is especially relevant when moving to a country where an indigenous group has experienced the negative impact and trauma of colonisation. The information will also be of use to social work agencies, employers, professional associations and regulatory bodies in understanding the process of acculturation for transnational social workers.
References
Bartley, A., Beddoe, L., Duke, J., Fouché, C., Harington, P., & Shah, R. (2011). Crossing borders: Key features of migrant social workers in New Zealand. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 23(3), 16–30. https://doi.org/10.11157/anzswj-vol23iss3id157
Bartley, A., &. Beddoe, E. (Eds.). (2018). Transnational social work: Opportunities and challenges of a global profession. Bristol University Press/Policy Press.
Beddoe, L., Fouché, C., Bartley, A., & Harington, P. (2012). Migrant social workers’ experience in New Zealand: Education and supervision issues. Social Work Education, 31, 1012–1031. https://doi:10.1080/0261547 9.2011.633600
Berry, J. W. (1990). Acculturation and adaptation: A general framework. In W. H. Holtzman & T. H. Bornemann (Eds.), Mental health of immigrants and refugees (pp. 90–102). Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.
Berry, J. W., & Hou, F. (2016). Immigrant acculturation and wellbeing in Canada. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 57(4), 254–264.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Dudgeon, P., Darlaston-Jones, D., Nikora, L. W., Waitoki, W., Pe-Pua, R., Tran, L. N., & Rouhani, L. (2016). Changing the acculturation conversation: Indigenous cultural reclamation in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. In D. L. Sam & J. W. Berry (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of acculturation psychology (2nd ed., pp. 115–133). Cambridge University Press. http://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316219218.009
Fouché, C., Beddoe, L., Bartley, A., & de Haan, I. (2014). Enduring professional dislocation: Migrant social workers’ perceptions of their professional roles. British Journal of Social Work, 44, 2004–2022. https://doi:10.1093/bjsw/bct054
Fouché, C., Beddoe, L., Bartley, A., & Parkes, E. (2015). Are we ready for them? Overseas-qualified social workers’ professional cultural transition. European Journal of Social Work, 19(1), 106–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/136 91457.2015.1022858
Haigh, F., Kemp, L., & Bazeley, P. (2019). Developing a critical realist informed framework to explain how the human rights and social determinants of health relationship works. BMC Public Health, 19, 1571. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7760-7
Hanna, S., & Lyons, K. (2017). “London calling”: The experiences of international social work recruits working in London. British Journal of Social Work, 47(3), 719–736. https://doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcw027
Hoskins, T. K., Tocker, K., & Jones, A. (2020). Discouraging children from speaking te reo in schools as a strategic Māori initiative. MAI. Journal, 9(2), 143–151.
Houlahan, M. (2018, December 27). The koru – arguably the best-known Māori symbol. Otago Daily Times. https:// www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/summer-times/koru-arguably- best-known-maori-symbol
Jones, A. (2012). Dangerous liaisons: Pākehā, kaupapa Māori, and educational research. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 47(2), 100–112.
Māori Perspective Advisory Committee. (1988). Puao-te-Ata-tu (day break): The report of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on a Māori Perspective for the Department of Social Welfare. Department of Social Welfare.
Modderman, C., McMahon, M., Threlkeld, G., & McPherson, L. (2020). Transnational social workers’ understanding of Australian First Nations perspectives in statutory child protection. Australian Social Work. https://doi:10.1080/03 12407X.2020.1771389
Napan, K., Connor, H., & Toki, L. (2019). Cultural pedagogy and transformative learning: Reflections on teaching in a Māori environment in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Journal of Transformative Education, 18(1), 59–77. https://doi-org. ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/10.1177/1541344619858978
Oberg, K. (1960). Culture shock: adjustment to new cultural environments. Practical Anthropology, 7, 177–182.
Peter, S., Beddoe, L., & Bartley, A. (2020). Navigating the territories of transition: An exploration of the experiences of transnational social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand. International Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872820956261
Pullen-Sansfaçon, A., Brown, M., Graham, J. (2012). International migration of professional social workers: Toward a theoretical framework for understanding professional adaptation process. Social Development Issues, 34(2), 37–50.
Rata, A., Liu, J. H., & Hutchings, J. (2014). Creation narratives as metaphors for indigenous identity development: The pōwhiri identity negotiation framework. Psychology and Developing Societies, 26, 291–319.
Sakamoto, I. (2007). A critical examination of immigrant acculturation: Towards an anti-oppressive social work model with immigrant adults in a pluralistic society. British Journal of Social Work, 37, 515–535.
Social Workers Registration Board. (2020a). Core competence standards. https://swrb.govt.nz/social-workers/competence/core-competence-standards/
Social Workers Registration Board. (2020b). Overseas qualifications. https://swrb.govt.nz/social-workers/ overseas-qualified-social-workers/
Staniforth, B., & Connor, H. (2021). “Biculturation”: Transnational social workers navigating movement into indigenous space in Aotearoa New Zealand. Qualitative Social Work, doi:10.1177/14733250211052083
Walsh-Tapiata, W., Simmons, H., Meo-Sewabu L., & Umugwaneza, A. (2018). Pōwhiri: A safe space of cultural encounter to assist transnational social workers in the profession in Aotearoa New Zealand. In A. Bartley & L. Beddoe (Eds.), Transnational social work: Opportunities and challenges of a global profession (pp. 155–169). Bristol University Press/Policy Press.
Ward, C., & Mak, A. (2016). Acculturation theory and research in New Zealand and Australia. In D. Sam & J. Berry (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of acculturation psychology (pp. 314–336). Cambridge University Press. https://doi:10.1017/CBO9781316219218.019
Zapf, M. (1991). Cross-cultural transitions and wellness: Dealing with culture shock. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 14, 105–119.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
By completing the online submission process, you confirm you accept this agreement. The following is the entire agreement between you and the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) and it may be modified only in writing.
You and any co-authors
If you are completing this agreement on behalf of co-authors, you confirm that you are acting on their behalf with their knowledge.
First publication
By submitting the work you are:
- granting the ANZASW the right of first publication of this work;
- confirming that the work is original; and
- confirming that the work has not been published in any other form.
Once published, you are free to use the final, accepted version in any way, as outlined below under Copyright.
Copyright
You assign copyright in the final, accepted version of your article to the ANZASW. You and any co-authors of the article retain the right to be identified as authors of the work.
The ANZASW will publish the final, accepted manuscript under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This licence allows anyone – including you – to share, copy, distribute, transmit, adapt and make commercial use of the work without needing additional permission, provided appropriate attribution is made to the original author or source.
A human-readable summary of the licence is available from http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, which includes a link to the full licence text.
Under this licence you can use the final, published version of the article freely – such as depositing a copy in your institutional research repository, uploading a copy to your profile on an academic networking site or including it in a different publication, such as a collection of articles on a topic or in conference proceedings – provided that original publication in Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work is acknowledged.
This agreement has no effect on any pre-publication versions or elements, which remain entirely yours, and to which we claim no right.
Reviewers hold copyright in their own comments and should not be further copied in any way without their permission.
The copyright of others
If your article includes the copyright material of others (e.g. graphs, diagrams etc.), you confirm that your use either:
- falls within the limits of fair dealing for the purposes of criticism and review or fair use; OR
- that you have gained permission from the rights holder for publication in an open access journal.
