Elsevier

Journal of Aging Studies

Volume 37, April 2016, Pages 48-58
Journal of Aging Studies

Dependence on place: A source of autonomy in later life for older Māori

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2016.02.004Get rights and content

Highlights

  • For older Māori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) attachment to place is deeply connected to identity.

  • Resources that enable a strong identity can be gained through connections with place.

  • Māori elders were able to experience autonomy through a comfortable dependence on land and family.

Abstract

Attachment to place is an important component of ageing. Although the importance of place for older people's well-being is known, the ways in which different conceptions of place and expectations for what later life may hold depend upon cultural beliefs, values, and expectations is underexplored. This study examined the ways that place influences experiences of ageing for older Māori in New Zealand. Eight interviews with older Māori were analysed thematically alongside field notes from a research visit. Attachment to place provided the foundation for experiences of ageing for older Māori. 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. A good old age depended on balancing competing demands of living in wider society with attachment to place and Māori identity in later life.

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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