Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Looking Māori means you are less likely to own your own home


Looking more Māori means you are less likely to own your own home


A study on home ownership rates among Māori shows that looking stereotypically Māori means you are less likely to own your own home.

A study on home ownership rates among Māori shows that looking stereotypically Māori means you are less likely to own your own home.

The research, by Dr Carla Houkamau, a senior lecturer in Management and International Business at the University of Auckland Business School, and Associate Professor Chris Sibley of the University’s School of Psychology, is part of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Survey (NZAVS).

The questionnaire sent to 561 Maori participants on home ownership and appearance was part of the NZAVS. Respondents were asked how Māori they thought they looked and whether or not they owned their own home.

The statistical modelling approach used in the research tested against a broad range of demographic variables that might otherwise explain variation in home ownership such as education, region, age, income and relationship status.

Adjusting for these factors, looking more stereotypically Māori significantly predicted decreased rates of home ownership. People who reported a higher score on the Perceived Appearance scale – who thought they looked more Māori - were more likely not to own their own home.

“Put simply, our analyses show that the likelihood of whether or not Māori owned their own home is predicted by their physical appearance” Dr Houkamau says.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“The key in our analysis was that we measured and adjusted for as many of these other factors as we could—and when we did so, the link between looking more Maori and decreased rates of home ownership was still significant.”

These other factors may also be linked with home ownership in their own right but they don’t explain why it is that people who look more Māori are less likely to own their own home.

“The difference in home ownership rates among Māori on the basis of appearance may reflect an extremely important form of institutional racism,” says Dr Houkamau.

Associate Professor Sibley said it was important to note that respondents in the study, published in open-access Journal PLOS One, were asked to rate their own appearance and this measure was not validated independently.

“People were using their own judgements on how ‘Māori’ they looked and may have been using multiple cultural markers for that, such as traditional adornments or whether they had a Māori name.”

The finding that looking stereotypically Māori relates to poor outcomes for Māori aligns with international research that demonstrates that the way people look can have profound effects on life experiences, Associate Professor Sibley says.

ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.