Kei tua i te awe māpara : countercolonial unveiling of neoliberal discourses in Aotearoa New Zealand
Ritchie, Jenny; Skerrett, Mere; Rau, Cheryl
Date
2014Citation:
Ritchie, J., Skerrett, M. & Rau, Cheryl (2014). Kei tua i te awe māpara : countercolonial unveiling of neoliberal discourses in Aotearoa New Zealand. International Review of Qualitative Research. 7 (1) : 111-129.Permanent link to Research Bank record:
https://hdl.handle.net/10652/2398Abstract
In this paper, we traverse both historical and contemporary discourses pertaining to early childhood care and education in Aotearoa New Zealand, offering a genealogical discursive analysis of assumptions of white superiority. It is proposed that such an analysis delivers a platform from which to launch a project of unmasking the recent and ongoing impact of neoliberal policies in our country. Two key documents are highlighted: the founding document of our nation, Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi, and the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. These documents are unusual both within our country, and internationally, in that they offer a framework for bi-epistemological approaches to both education and social organisation more widely. Revisiting these documents in the context of uncovering the subtle racism that underpins assumptions of white superiority provides a platform for countercolonial, ethical reenvisioning of our educational becomings.