The Relationship between Social well-being and Financial well-being of the New Zealand Tongan Community.

Abstract

In recent years, well-being has been among the top priorities on the New Zealand policy agenda. Studies reported that the overall well-being of a population or workforce impacts health and social care expenditure, as well as the overall economic productivity of a nation or organisation (Diener & Seligman, 2004). Western well-being models provide a context for understanding aspects of well-being however they do not fully capture fundamental aspects of Pacific values and beliefs, such as the spiritual dimensions of well-being (Tu’itahi, 2015). A deeper and richer Pacific worldview is pertinent when discussing the well-being of the Pacific communities in New Zealand. This study centres on the relationship between social well-being and financial well-being, from the perspective of the New Zealand Tongan Community. The use of culturally appropriate methods of data gathering is vital, therefore the Talanoa method was utilised for this research. As Vaioleti (2006) stated, “The reciprocity embedded in Talanoa will raise expectations that researchers and participants have of each other, promoting mutual accountability which adds to the trustworthiness and quality of the research” (Vaioleti, 2006, p.26). The Kakala framework was also applied to portray the processes teu, toli and luva which describes the recruitment process of selecting the participants, analysing the data collected and presenting the findings and outcomes of the study. The participants involved in this study embraced their core values, of the Tongan Pillars or the Faa’i kave’i Koula. They value tauhi vaa, fefaka’apa’apa’aki, mamahi’i me’a and loto too. All participants elaborated on ‘Ofa or love and feveitoka’iaki. These are embodied by their faith and belief in God as Christians. Overall, the findings from this study demonstrate that participants experienced the tension between financial and social well-being to be a constant balancing act, with different respondents finding different mechanisms to find that balance. Although this relationship is seemingly complicated, in essence, it is quite simple. It is a matter of balancing through the Pacific holistic well-being models. The significance of balancing strong cultural beliefs, values and practices is emphasised by these well-being models. Yet, how to practice the balance between these principles and beliefs is still ambiguous. Thus, this study has contributed to demonstrating a clearer picture of what balancing these core values looks like through the voices of the Tongan people in New Zealand who are presently partaking in this journey. This study portrays some of the reality of adversity faced by the New Zealand Tongan community and how they deal with it. It is a battle from within, to either conform to the mainstream culture and flourish financially or hold on to their values and culture and struggle. Nonetheless, “If individualism is the essence of the mainstream culture, then ‘being part of a family: aiga, anau, magafoa, kaiga, kainga and kawa’ is the essence of Pacific Islands cultures. Recognition of the fundamental differences would be a step in the right direction.” (Pasikale and George, 1995, p. 7).