Village style parenting in an urban context: exploring the power of whānau-to-whānau coaching

Abstract

Parenting programmes are influenced by discourses that overemphasise the role of professional experts and, often, position babies and whānau/family as passive recipients of knowledge. Failing to acknowledge the expertise of whānau and defaulting to Eurocentric practices perpetuate colonisation. This thesis seeks to analyse the formation of a parenting programme, ‘Talking Matters to Tāmaki’ (TMTT), aimed at creating rich language environments for babies and young children. TMTT, created in partnership with parents, whānau and community members in an Auckland suburb, offers an alternative to ‘top-down’ programmes, where traditionally outside experts design the programme and set the criteria for success. TMTT involves parents coaching other parents around talking with their children. This study, taking place over two years, explored the coach’s valued sources of knowledge, alongside journeys of participating whānau. This thesis asks whether parenting programmes can be a catalyst for whānau transformation, and cultural and linguistic reclamation. Using Kaupapa Māori and Critical Participatory Action Research methods, focus groups, interviews, phone calls with the coaches and reflective researcher memos were analysed through an emancipatory and culturally affirming process alongside data from focus groups with whānau who have participated in TMTT. This study widens the lens of early oral language by describing a critical reflective narrative of a community-led parenting programme that makes space for whānau to re-centre Indigenous linguistic and cultural practices. He Awa Whiria/The Braided Rivers metaphor is used to illustrate five streams derived from the analysis. Each stream demonstrates a weaving of practices drawing on both Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, presenting a new path for parenting support. An adaptation to the Braided Rivers is made to incorporate whānau knowledge. The evolution of the collective-agentive approach is illustrated within each stream with selected critical markers. Results show that families are no longer “on” or “in” a programme. They are the programme.