Tūhono Māori: A Research Study of Attachment from an Indigenous Māori Perspective

Mikahere-Hall, A

Tūhono Māori: A Research Study of Attachment from an Indigenous Māori Perspective

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Journal article(387.87 KB)

Date

2020-02-27

Authors

Mikahere-Hall, A

Item type

Journal Article

Publisher

The New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists (NZAP) Inc., and supported by the School of Public Health & Psychosocial Studies at Auckland University of Technology.

Abstract

Tūhono Māori is a qualitative research project that engages with Indigenous Kaupapa Māori methodology and methods. The purpose is to investigate a uniquely Māori approach for understanding the nature in which healthy whānau (family) relationships are fostered within a Māori social system. The research seeks to advance what we understand about healthy attachments through an Indigenous Māori lens, exploring traditional and contemporary notions of attachment in which healthy emotional bonds are fostered and secure whānau attachments promoted. The aim of this research is to develop Māori theory that will shape trauma-informed interventions for Māori children and their whānau. The study is intended to address a knowledge gap in which tūhono (attach/bond) and related concepts such as tūhonotanga (attachment/connectedness) are proposed as a contemporary Māori notion of attachment. This paper discusses the methodology and methods employed in the Tūhono Māori research project.