Dependence on place: A source of autonomy in later life for older Māori
Section snippets
Ageing and place
Research on the role of place in understanding the experience of ageing has tended to focus on ageing in place, a key focus of national and international policy to meet the needs of an ageing population. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines ageing in place as “meeting the desire and ability of people, through the provision of appropriate services and assistance, to remain living relatively independently in the community in his or her current home or an appropriate level of housing” (
Māori understandings of place
A sense of place is inherently indigenous, and connection to land is central to Māori society and identity (Murton, 2012). This begins with the creation story that conceptualises the sky and the ground as being the father, mother, and creator of life (Panelli et al., 2008). For early Māori to survive, they developed “tikanga” a set of beliefs and customs to be used as a code guiding human behaviour (Durie, 2005), and a system of tenure (mana whenua), designed to acknowledge the rights of
Place and ageing among older Māori
During the mid-twentieth century, Māori migration from rural to urban areas disrupted traditional patterns of family support for Māori (Barlow, 1991). Māori relocated from kāinga (traditional Māori communal living) to live in urban areas with more employment opportunities, often leaving behind their extended family, cultural institutions, and support structures (Rimene, Hassan & Broughton, 1998). This widespread migration had significant ramifications for culture and identity. The movement away
Methods
Eight interviews with older Māori from one geographical location were analysed to focus on the unique experiences of older Māori. This recognises the unique histories and culture that influence the way older Māori make sense of their identity (Bierre et al., 2007, Cunningham et al., 2002, Nairn et al., 2006). To concentrate on how place influences identity for older Māori, only those interviews conducted in a specific place were analysed. The age of the participants ranged from 66 to 79 years of
Results and discussion
Through their connection to place, the participants drew on a comforting and comfortable dependence on land and family to enable autonomy in later life. Rather than seeking to maintain independence in terms of avoiding reliance on others, older Māori conceptualised older age through autonomy and freedom to live in accordance with Māori values encapsulated by whakawhanaungatanga. Whakawhanaungatanga is a fundamental component of identity for Māori; it refers to the ways people come into
Conclusions
Older Māori have a unique relationship with the land, valuing the ability to gain sustenance from the land, in particular the ocean. This reflects a common finding among indigenous cultures (Cajete, 1999, Walters et al., 2011). Sustenance from the land was not only gained through the provision of food but through the security of having a home to live in, land to build on, and a place of cultural sustenance (Panelli et al., 2008). From this foundation, older Māori are linked to whānau and wider
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by a grant from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (now Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment).
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2020, Landscape and Urban PlanningCitation Excerpt :For example, people who perceive a place to be useful in their everyday life (i.e., high place dependence) perform more physical and social activities and show more fondness toward the place. Place dependence can foster autonomy because dependence creates place familiarity, enabling the establishment of social networks for gaining support and services (Butcher & Breheny, 2016). The reviewed literature suggests that there are two gaps to be addressed for a more comprehensive understanding of place attachment among older people.
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2017, Social Science and MedicineCitation Excerpt :The more moderated response around the degree to which participants felt connected, and the stronger associations between connectedness and health, support previous findings of the strong association between social connectedness and health, and especially functional status (Berkman et al., 2000; Hidalgo and Hernández, 2001; Unger et al., 1999; Walker and Hiller, 2007; Zunzunegui et al., 2004). There is evidence that for many older people, a desire to ‘age in place’, or stay put, may be more strongly related to engagement and relationships with people and communities than to satisfaction with physical dwellings or local areas, especially for those living in housing that is inadequate, inappropriate, or in more disadvantaged or less desirable environments (Butcher and Breheny, 2016; Golant, 2008; Hillcoat-Nallétamby and Ogg, 2014; McDonald, 2016; Walker and Hiller, 2007). Support for ageing in place should facilitate the health effects of social connectedness, but also seek to ameliorate problematic physical environments with careful consideration of housing and wider support needs of an ageing population (Smetcoren et al., 2016; Wiles et al., 2012b).