Chair: Shayne Walker
Donna Baines and Bindi Bennett
Rankings, Ruling and Reproducing Inequities: Critiquing the Knowledge Production of Social Work’s “Top 100 Scholars”
Reflecting on an article authored by Hodge and Turner (2022) that ranks the “top” 100 social work scholars, this paper presents a multi-layered critique of the tradition of using bibliometrics to generate “knowledge” and competitive global rankings of individual social work faculty members, departments and universities. We raise concerns regarding the transformation of neoliberal metrics into social work research questions and projects, and then solidified into competitive, martketised knowledge about social work and its scholars. We argue that through this process, inequity and neoliberalism are normalized and legitimized and we are further distanced from social justice, decolonisation, and equity. Drawing on the literature, we show that racism, colonialism, classism, sexism and geographic inequity are reproduced by the article and the pursuit of these kinds of competitive rankings. The paper concludes by suggesting alternative assessments grounded in community participation and social justice, and aimed at expanding equity and social justice.
Emily Keddell, Shayne Walker, Andrew Rudolph
Protecting whakapapa: collaboration, power and prevention in initial child protection decision-making.
Acknowledgement: We acknowledge Tai Timu, Tai Pari as joint partners in this project, particularly William Kaipo, Jonette Chapman, Jude Hughes, Dave Ashby and Karen Hale.
Within report-investigate child protection institutional structures, decisions are made by state child protection workers about reports that are made to them by other professionals and citizens. Initial decisions have significant consequences, as they can result in protection for children and increased coordination of support services, as well as intrusive, stressful and harmful interventions. They are also the entry point for the start of inequities within the system most notably for Māori. The harm of unwarranted removals, as part of colonial impositions and assimilationist processes are well documented. One consequence of the institutionalisation of statutory child protection systems in colonised countries is that power, decision-making, processes and what is considered relevant knowledge have traditionally been defined and controlled by the state. De-centralising decision-making, a key aim of both statutory and Māori agencies in the reforms of 2019 – 2023 in Aotearoa New Zealand, aims to help address inequities for Maori, reduce care entry, and improve prevention service access. This talk describes an evaluation research project of a de-centralised decision-making triage
process, which operates collaboratively between Oranga Tamariki (state child protection) and community-based social workers from a range of Māori organisations led by Tai Timu, Tai Pari. The aims of the research are to understand the barriers and enablers of this new form of decision -making according to key participants. Of particular interest is its e]ects on power dynamics, the co-construction of risk, and access to supports. This talk will describe the process of building a research partnership between university and community organisations, the methods used, and emerging findings.
Shayne Walker, Lashana Lewis, Natalie Paki Paki, Paula Toko King, Hunia Te Urukaitia Mackay
He aha te korero o to puku!
What wells up from your belly, how do you ‘go with your knowing’ in the child protection process with tamariki, rangatahi and whānau Māori. This presentation is the result of a three year research project with Te Hou Ora Whānau Support Services Otepoti (THO) that examined the key practice elements in indigenous led child protection processes with tamariki, rangatahi and whānau. The outcomes are five pou – the “foundational underpinnings of both good practice and good partnerships” and seven takepū - the “preferred ways, fashioned by Māori thinking and rationale, of engaging with others” (Pohatu, 2013, p. 13). Kaimahi, various community and NGO stakeholders, rangatahi and whanau provided thier stories, dreams and pūkōrero (well-informed, speaking with authority, articulate) regarding ‘what worked’ and ‘what doesen’t’ work for them. These ways of thinking, behaving and acting form the core of practice in THO a kaupapa Maori organisation that has been operating for over 40years. Their aim is to have transformative relationships that result in tangible and real rangatiratanga for those they work with. They can do what they like with 7AA in Wellington but the waka has already sailed Māori and their allies know and can evidence what works!
