New Zealand: Families, Children and Ethnicity

11 Pages Posted: 1 Apr 2015 Last revised: 8 Jul 2019

See all articles by Bill Atkin

Bill Atkin

Victoria University of Wellington, Te Herenga Waka - Faculty of Law

Date Written: 1992

Abstract

The individual and the nuclear family group are the basis of the social structure in traditional western thinking. Māori culture does not have the same focus on the individual, rather greater focus is attracted to the whānau or wider family. The challenge of family law is for these concepts to coexist, and the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989 was brought in to assist in this task. This article brings up the challenges and successes that this Act has had in regards to family decision-making and adoption, before reviewing the role of family decision-making in regards to medical treatment.

Keywords: Māori culture, Whānau, Family Group Conference, Adoption, Child Welfare.

JEL Classification: K39

Suggested Citation

Atkin, Bill, New Zealand: Families, Children and Ethnicity (1992). (1992) 31 JFamL 357., Victoria University of Wellington Legal Research Paper No. 42/2019, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2587476

Bill Atkin (Contact Author)

Victoria University of Wellington, Te Herenga Waka - Faculty of Law ( email )

PO Box 600
Wellington, 6140
New Zealand

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