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INTRODUCTION: This article examines some of the challenges faced by social workers working with young parents and explores appropriate responses to those challenges. Beddoe and Maidment's (2009) critical intersections model is utilised to integrate academic curriculum learning with contemporary social work areas. Aspects of working with young parents are discussed in relation to cultural imperatives and critical social theory, intersecting with the therapeutic relationship, which is an essential professional practice skill. The intersection between cultural imperatives and the therapeutic relationship explores social work with young parents who identify as Māori, while the intersection between critical social theory and the therapeutic relationship explores the impact of stigma and discrimination on establishing engagement with young parents. METHOD: The critical intersections model is applied to the anecdotal practice experience of a social work student on placement at an agency that supports young parents. A composite case study based on practice experience is used to illustrate the critical intersections. FINDINGS: Demonstrating elements of the therapeutic relationship before receiving consent to engage with a young parent can aid in overcoming the mistrust of helping professionals caused by stigma and discrimination. Establishing a therapeutic relationship with young parents who identify as Māori requires a social worker to have a willingness to learn and respond with cultural humility. CONCLUSION: The critical intersections model was valuable in exploring the integration of academic curriculum and contemporary social work areas in relation to social work with young parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand has an unspoken commandment: 'thou shalt not be a tall poppy'. A tall poppy is someone who stands out from the crowd, usually by excelling at one or more pursuits. Sadly, many New Zealanders are all too familiar with this phrase as they have been 'cut down' by those around them, taunted for their success and discouraged from celebrating their achievements. This social phenomenon of cutting down tall poppies is called Tall Poppy Syndrome and is present in many areas of New Zealand culture, such as sport, academic achievement, and entrepreneurship. Consequently, the church is not immune to this phenomenon. Tall Poppy Syndrome, whether within or outside the church, discourages excellence and prevents flourishing. This article engages Moral Foundations Theory to understand why Tall Poppy Syndrome exists in New Zealand, and then proposes Christian humility as a remedy for Tall Poppy Syndrome within the church. When humility and excellence can co-exist, then Tall Poppy Syndrome will no longer exist; thus the church could have an important role in enabling New Zealand to be a place where tall poppies can freely flourish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education in an inter-cultural space is a feature of Aotearoa New Zealand: the education system is of European origin as are many in the teaching profession, while the student population is diverse. Within that diversity are Pasifika students, those with links to Pacific Island nations resident in Aotearoa New Zealand. This article offers insights into Pasifika education by focussing on a small-scale professional learning and development (PLD) programme based on Pasifika student and parent voice understood through Pacific concepts. A review of three strands of literature precedes a description of the PLD programme. Data from the programme is then discussed in terms of the kinds of knowledge teachers can develop through negotiating with va, a relational concept from the Pacific. This indicates that PLD which offers relevant student voice, concepts capable of challenging dominant world views, and socialisation into alternative ethics can provide a way forward in Pasifika education and, by implication, in other education spaces which have an inter-cultural profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines attrition rates over the first four years of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study, a longitudinal national panel sample of New Zealand adults. We report the base rate and covariates for the following four distinct classes of respondents: explicit withdrawals, lost respondents, intermittent respondents and constant respondents. A multinomial logistic regression examined an extensive range of demographic and socio-psychological covariates (among them the Big-Six personality traits) associated with membership in these classes (N = 5,814). Results indicated that men, Māori and Asian peoples were less likely to be constant respondents. Conscientiousness and Honesty-Humility were also positively associated with membership in the constant respondent class. Notably, the effect sizes for the socio-psychological covariates of panel attrition tended to match or exceed those of standard demographic covariates. This investigation broadens the focus of research on panel attrition beyond demographics by including a comprehensive set of socio-psychological covariates. Our findings show that core psychological covariates convey important information about panel attrition, and are practically important to the management of longitudinal panel samples like the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses two Tongan social work concepts - fakafekau'aki (connecting) and fakatokilalo (humility) - that have emerged out of qualitative research exploring the practice of Tongan social workers in New Zealand. It is argued that social work is socially constructed and that positive social change for indigenous and migrant groups in western countries requires the utilization of relevant cultural concepts as foundations for practice. The use of Tongan concepts such as fakafekau'aki and fakatokilalo imply Tongan-centric conceptualizations of professionalism and relationship in social work. Finally, it is noted that these concepts must be viewed holistically in relation to the lived reality of Tongans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]