Abstract
Ethnicity is a key variable in social science research and is often assumed to be a stable construct. Yet, for more and more individuals in New Zealand’s diversified society, ethnicity is flexible and individuals may choose to change and adapt their ethnic identities contingent on social contexts. Using material from narrative interviews with 44 Māori-Italians conducted in New Zealand in 2013, this paper explores the relevance of the social identity theoretical approach for understanding the construction of mixed ethnic identities. Employing an interactionist conceptualisation of identity expression, our findings disclose four thematic patterns by which participants assert positive mixed-ethnic identities that allow them to align with desirable notions of what it means to be Māori, Italian, and Māori-Italian and also differentiate themselves from what they perceive as the less positive aspects of the dominant New Zealand culture.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 3 |
Pages (from-to) | 27-40 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | New Zealand Journal of Psychology |
Volume | 48 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 13 Jul 2020 |
Publication status | Published - 31 Dec 2020 |
Event | Transnational Transnational Italies. Mobility, Subjectivities and Modern Italian Cultures - British School at Rome, Rome, Italy Duration: 26 Oct 2016 → 28 Oct 2016 http://www.transnationalmodernlanguages.ac.uk/2016/09/07/transnational-italies-conference-at-british-school-at-rome-26-28-october-2016/ |
Bibliographical note
The fieldwork underlying this article was conducted in 2013 by Adalgisa Giorgio with funding from the European Union-Oceania Social Science Inter-regional Consortium (2009-5259/001-001-EMA2). Adalgisa is very grateful to her interviewees in New Zealand for participating in this research. Marina Sciascia and Maria Moleta Van der Aa are owed a special debt for facilitating data collection. Adalgisa Giorgio is Italian and the lead investigator in this study. Carla Houkamau is of Ngāti Porou Kahungūnu/Ngati Kere and Ngāti Porou/Te Whānau o Tuwhakairiora descent. She is a Māori Italian and herself a descendant of Nicola Sciascia and Riria McGregor.Keywords
- Māori identity
- Māori-Italian identity
- hybridity
- Social identity theory
- interactionism
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Social Sciences