Competing notions of distributive justice: equity and tino rangatiratanga in Maori education policy debate in 1990

Abstract

Recent debates surrounding Maori education policy involve competing Pakeha and Maori philosophies of distributive justice in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Pakeha notions of distributive justice appear to be based primarily on Western concepts of equity whereas Maori notions seem to centre on indigenous Maori concepts of autonomy/self-determination/rangatiratanga/mana. This thesis explores notions of equity and autonomy used by a sample of people involved in determining Maori education policy in key professional roles in 1990. It aims to clarify the nature and usage of these notions. It examines the range of interpretations given to the notions, identifies policy positions based on these interpretations and attempts to explain why the notions are interpreted in various ways. The study also examines the relationship between the usage of the notions by those in the sample and their response to the Treaty of Waitangi. A literature review indicates the problematic nature of the notions and shows the need to use primary sources to address the aims of the thesis. The study then turns to an analysis of data collected and transcribed from interviews. It uses a grounded theory approach based on comparative analysis. The study finds that notions of equity and autonomy used by the respondents are diverse and complex. It argues that these reflect contested ideas about the nature of distributive justice and identifies three main groups in the sample. One group is dominated by Pakeha notions of equity, a second group by Maori notions of tino rangatiratanga. Members of the third group take a cross-cultural position that appears to use, modify and mediate both Pakeha and Maori views. It is argued that stances taken by individuals relate to their ethnicity, occupational roles and other factors. After examining the role of the Treaty the findings of this thesis are compared with another related study. The thesis concludes by discussing the implications of its findings for researches, policymakers and education policy.