The biopolitics of Māori biomass

Towards a new epistemology for Māori health in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Datos Bibliográficos

ID15295482
AutoresIsaac Warbrick (0000-0002-0281-2542, Auckland University of Technology), Andrew Dickson (0000-0002-5488-0459, Massey University, autor de correspondencia), R Prince (0000-0002-9671-7414, Massey University), Ihirangi Heke (0000-0001-9590-0164)
Año2015
Volumen26
Número4
Páginas394-404
Fecha de publicación2015-10-15
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaCritical Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0958-1596 • E-ISSN: 1469-3682
EditorialTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09581596.2015.1096013
OpenAlexW2215810173
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas17
Referencias citadas40

In this paper we consider what impact a biopolitics that creates a compliant self-governing weight-focused population has had on Māori health in Aotearoa/New Zealand. We frame this discussion with three vignettes that in different ways demonstrate the deleterious effects of the individualisation of health on Māori. We argue that the current biopolitics is best explained as ‘the health of Maoris’ not ‘Māori Health’. To counter this current biopolitics we put forward an alternative epistemology, the ‘Atua Matua’ framework. This epistemology pays respect to a Māori view of health that is holistic, encompassing physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural and familial well-being and does not give ground to the requirement for individualism so prevalent in neoliberalism. Finally, we consider what this new epistemology might offer to the public health agendas in Aotearoa and other countries where indigenous populations suffer ill health disproportionately. Thus, our implications have potential not only for Māori health but human health in general

Aotearoa · Articulation (sociology · Biopower · Environmental ethics · Health equity · Indigenous · Neoliberalism (international relations · Political science · Politics · Population · Population health · Public health · Social science · Sociology · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Gender Studies · Law · Medicine · Obesity and Health Practices · Philosophy · Ecology