From 'Making a Difference' to 'Claiming Spaces'

In 2002 the Māori and Psychology Research Unit at the University of Waikato made a valuable contribution to the teaching and practice of psychology in Aotearoa via the two day Māori Graduates of Psychology Symposium: Making a Difference.  Although small in number, we know that as Māori and Pacific psychologists, graduates and students of psychology we are indeed making a difference.  Building on the foundations laid in 2002, the theme of the 2007 symposium is “Claiming Spaces”.  This theme reflects that the time has come for Māori and Pacific Psychologies to move from the margins and claim legitimate space within the discipline of psychology.  Here in Aotearoa we have the potential to be pioneers in the development of psychologies relevant and applicable to Māori and Pacific peoples, and to better understand what science, culture and practice means when indigenous and cultural worldviews are prioritised.  

As Māori and Pacific Psychologists, graduates of psychology, and psychology students, we work in a variety of exciting and dynamic settings and roles.  The symposium content will reflect this diversity, as well as the diversity of interactions which are occurring between Māori and Pacific worldviews and psychology.  It is an inclusive theme, and we welcome submissions led by Māori and Pacific psychologists, graduates of psychology and psychology students which reflect and make a connection to the theme of “Claiming Spaces”.