Abstract
My doctoral research concerned implementing bicultural curriculum in mainstream early childhood centres in Aotearoa New Zealand. While I explored these ideas from an appreciative inquiry standpoint, some troubling aspects related to the notion of biculturalism occurred. In this article, definitions of biculturalism are examined, as is the relationship between bilingualism and biculturalism, as well as the growing move to replace power sharing implied by biculturalism, with multiculturalism. In addition to perusing the literature, data were collected through a survey of 76 early childhood respondents, in 2003. Generally, respondents had a positive definition of biculturalism. However, when considering whether bicultural practices were a positive expression or not academic literature was divided. What was interesting in Aotearoa New Zealand was overall those promoting biculturalism were Pākehā and those opposed were Māori. One conclusion I draw is that the term Tiriti-based better captures the intention of partnership than biculturalism.
Highlights
The New Zealand early childhood curriculum (Ministry of Education, 1996) is presented as a bicultural curriculum, namely one honouring an equal relationship between Māori and non-Māori
I derived data from an anonymous, qualitative survey conducted with 76 early childhood educators (Jenkin, 2009), which was distributed at the Eighth New Zealand Early Childhood Convention in 2003
The sense of unequal power sharing in conventional definitions of biculturalism and reference to the power structures that underpin theories of biculturalism (Durie, 2001; Johnston, 2001; O'Sullivan, 2007; Smith, 1990) provide cause to reconceptualise the notion of biculturalism
Summary
Definitions of biculturalism Surprisingly little recent New Zealand literature exists to update definitions of biculturalism, in the field of education. One was later provided: “a concept that implies the interactions, relationships, and sharing of understandings, practices, and beliefs between two cultures; in New Zealand, the term generally refers to Māori and non-Māori” There are, several international strategies suggested in the past that may prove to be helpful in the implementation of Tiriti-based, power sharing, curriculum These strategies can be adapted by early childhood teachers, those encouraging the acquisition of te reo Māori. Stiles (1997) compared the Cree Way in Quebec, Hualapai in Arizona, Te Kōhanga Reo in Aotearoa New Zealand, and Punana Leo in Hawaii She concluded that success in achievement could be attributed to having a theoretical foundation for the curriculum, a degree of home and community involvement, written resources for teachers and intertwining culture and language.
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