Ethnographic Edge (E-Journal)
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Tiriti-based antiracism praxis of Pākehā allies: An exemplar of applying Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a methodology for Pākehā health researchers
No full textIn Aotearoa, all research has obligations to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a foundational treaty negotiated between the British Crown and hapū (Māori nations). Many of these obligations have yet to be realised.
Research remains a contested intellectual frontline of decolonisation. This paper describes how Pākehā (white settler) scholars can apply Te Tiriti to research praxis.
The paper is an exemplar of how Te Tiriti was applied as a methodology within a study that explored how, during the 2021 to 2023 health system reform in Aotearoa, Pākehā allies engaged in Tiriti-based anti-racism praxis. The paper also discusses how Te Tiriti methodology can be a useful frame for non-Indigenous researchers seeking ethical and just research practices.
Although specific to Aotearoa, this paper is relevant to international settings, particularly where White settlers are seeking a decolonising methodology aligned with Indigenous rights and justice
The impact of practising mindfulness to increase individual resilience during voluntary migration: An autoethnographic study of my own voluntary migration from South Africa to Croatia, using mindful practice to manage the uncertainty and possible resulting stress of acculturation pre- and post-migration
No full textThis is an autoethnographic study of my own (first author’s) voluntary migration from South Africa to Croatia, using mindful practice to manage the uncertainty and possible resulting stress of acculturation pre- and post-migration. While significant literature is available on both mindfulness and resilience, the research on the use of mindfulness to manage the specific stressors of voluntary migration is limited. The research question ‘what is the impact of practising mindfulness to increase individual resilience during voluntary migration?’ was at the core of the adopted methodology, which was inductive, collecting both qualitative and quantitative data through weekly reflexive journaling and monthly assessment of my resilience score and perceived stress score. Thematic analysis was used to make sense of the data, and my own critical incidents are shared throughout the findings and discussion. Despite migration presenting unique sociocultural and psychological challenges, most often experienced as stressful by the migrant as acculturation in the host country takes place, my perceived stress scores remained low for the eight months of tracking. Resilience was in place and remained high during the research period. My hope is that through my own experiences of undergoing and managing change of migration, I can offer insights, perspectives, and practical strategies that may resonate with others going through a similar transition or anyone who may have an interest in the intersections between migration, mindfulness and resilience
Hauora Māori: Aspirations of Māori health practitioners for a culturally relevant health system
Full text linkHealth care in Aotearoa New Zealand privileges the Western worldview. Consequently, institutional racism is a health system attribute demonstrated by prolonged health inequities, including life expectancy, between Māori and non-Māori. The Crown has breached Te Tiriti o Waitangi, an enduring agreement between Māori and the Crown, by failing to design and deliver health services adequately for Māori, and failing to provide opportunities for Māori sovereignty. Māori experts have articulated the need to surpass equity and achieve Māori aspirations. This qualitative kaupapa Māori research explored Indigenous aspirations for health system transformation, specifically in an environment free of racism. Three online wānanga with Māori health practitioners highlighted the difficulty of describing aspirations when mamae (hurt) continues to be felt in the existing system. By capturing these experiences, we mapped differences between the current system and Māori aspirations for Hauora Māori - a construct where whānau health care and support for wellbeing is indistinguishable from everyday life. The biggest barriers identified in moving towards this approach are Crown resistance to prioritising Māori aspirations for hauora, and the expectation that aspirations should fit within current structures. To achieve hauora Māori, we need changes to funding allocations, prioritising hapū-based commissioning, and improved monitoring and accountability
We carry home with us: Pacific athlete migration
No full textGlobalisation is not a recent phenomenon, nor does it occur evenly or in a vacuum. Western Scholars have traced the origins of sport-related globalisation back to the 1870s. Interestingly, Pacific migration had long occurred before the arrival of missionaries to the islands. As a result, Pacific diaspora communities can be seen around the world as they establish their families globally. Now, Pacific migration is more complex than one-way migration from the islands to countries like New Zealand and Australia, where many people migrate back and forth to the islands and other countries. This article explores Pacific notions of migration and how this informs Pacific athlete behaviour. Through understanding this phenomenon from a Pacific standpoint, we can identify how sport organisations can be more inclusive. This article aims to inform policies, rules, and regulations in the fields of sports and migration by highlighting how Pacific athletes carry their cultural identity and traditions in a contemporary, globalised sporting era
Long-term correspondence with someone in a maximum-security state prison
No full textThis article presents a longitudinal ethnographic case study based on over two decades of correspondence between Luis Levy Gonzalez, an Insider Correspondent (IC), an Indigenous man from Panamá incarcerated in a maximum-security California state prison, and Keith Bletzer, an Outside Correspondent (OC) and anthropologist in the U.S. Southwest. Originating from IC’s inquiry into his Ngöbé heritage, the exchange evolved into an ongoing dialogue on cultural identity, displacement, justice, and the lived realities of incarceration. Drawing on letters, shared reading materials, and mutual reflections, the study documents IC’s experiences, from his early displacement by cattle ranchers in Panamá to his migration to the United States, cultural adaptation, and subsequent conviction, as well as his life in prison. The correspondence—conducted primarily through U.S. mail—functions simultaneously as a source of intellectual and emotional sustenance for IC and as ethnographic data for OC, highlighting the potential of “Public Anthropology” to connect prison realities with broader social and cultural contexts. The analysis explores themes of Indigenous identity, acculturation, social justice, prison culture, and the transformative role of literacy and knowledge exchange. It argues that ethnography need not be confined to face-to-face fieldwork; sustained written correspondence can yield rich, self-reflective insights that challenge dominant narratives about incarceration and Indigenous experience in the U.S
Exploring media catching strategies in Indian political public relations: A shift from public to private communication
Full text linkThe modern media landscape has been significantly transformed by the rise of digital platforms and social media, altering the dynamics of political communication. This study investigates the professional use of WhatsApp for media catching within Indian political public relations, a practice that has received limited academic attention. By analysing the group administrative actions, content styles, and information flow within four distinct WhatsApp groups used by political public relations practitioners and journalists, this research provides insights into how these private messaging platforms are leveraged to influence media narratives and public perception. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining ethnographic observations, content analysis, and semi-structured interviews with journalists and public relations professionals. The findings reveal that WhatsApp groups are predominantly used for one-way communication, aligning with the press agentry/publicity model of public relations. The dominance of multimedia content, such as images and videos, underscores the platform's role in enhancing the immediacy and visual appeal of political communication. However, the controlled nature of these groups raises ethical concerns regarding transparency and the potential for biased reporting. Despite these challenges, WhatsApp's widespread adoption, cost-effectiveness, and support for multiple languages make it a valuable tool for media relations in the Indian context. The study concludes by emphasising the need for a hybrid approach that combines the efficiency of digital platforms with the depth of personal interactions to maintain strong, trust-based relationships between journalists and public relations practitioners
A Report on the Impact of Immigration Detention on the Health and Well-being of Refugees & Asylum Seekers: A meta-ethnography
No full textThe extended periods that some asylum seekers experience in immigration detention potentially compromise their mental health and physical well-being. This compromise is associated with the prevailing culture and conditions within some immigration detention facilities in Western countries, such as Australia, Canada and Germany. This review aims to synthesise the findings of studies that report on the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers while they have been held in immigration detention. A meta-ethnographic approach guided the synthesis following the eMERGe meta-ethnography reporting guidance structure. Three common storyline metaphors were identified from the synthesis of findings of seven qualitative studies: (1) treating like criminals, jail-like, prison-like, and treated like animals; (2) killing your mind and torturing your mind; and (3) feelings of hopelessness, worry, despair and fear. The findings of this review suggest that the culture and the practices of immigration detention that impact refugees and asylum seekers who are detained for sometimes extended periods need to be transformed. The time that people are held in detention and the context for that detention needs urgent review. While immigration detention is legislated and enacted differently in the countries where the included studies were located, Government policies should consider alternative approaches such as community detention. Regular monitoring of immigration detention practices by external bodies should be mandated, and ongoing staff training for workers in detention facilities should be instituted to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers are treated fairly and with dignity when detained