Discourse, stereotypes and social work

By Kex

If you drive a motor vehicle in New Zealand, it is undeniable that people perceive the Chinese population as “bad drivers”, and make assumptions based on ethnicity. However, “according to the data, of the 378 road deaths in 2017, 34 people died in 25 crashes that involved a foreign driver. The foreign driver was at fault in 18 of those.” (NZ Herald, 2019 ). This statistic shows that foreign drivers only contribute to less than five per cent of the road toll deaths in New Zealand, while New Zealand citizens were at fault for over 95 per cent road accidents.

Let us have a look at other ethnicities and the stereotypes surrounding them. As for the indigenous people of New Zealand, Māori, common stereotypes suggest the public tends to think that the Māori population usually involves gang association, violence, and criminal activity. Contrasting perceptions for Pasifika people, people tend to have a stereotype of, labelling Pasifika people as lazy, poor and rely on welfare support. As for Muslim people, the public stereotypes those as having refugee status, and terrorist association (Kino, 2019 ). As a Chinese female myself, who has a Māori partner, the first question that some of my friends have asked me has been “Did he ever hit you?”. I do not blame my friends because they care about me and are concerned about my wellbeing. However, this makes me sad and I realise the level of stereotyping in New Zealand, and the assumptions people hold true based on ethnicity, religion, and culture.

Reflecting on social work practice, there are also many stereotypical discourses surrounding social workers, particularly for social workers in the child protection field. According to Mason (2018): “Too much coverage in the press fuels the myth we are a sinister arm of the state, focused on the systematic removal of children.” . This stereotype of child protection social workers can have a very negative effect. Due to the stereotype, clients tend not to trust or cooperate with social workers, which have led some social workers to respond in an assertive manner with the use of statutory power (Quick & Scott, 2018). Thus, a vicious cycle has formed in the child protection field.

However, where do all these stereotypes come from? From my perspective, mass media has contributed to a wide range of stereotypes in New Zealand. When searching for road toll deaths in New Zealand on Google, many media outlets reported with a pronounced title of “Chinese driver”, while almost none of the news items indicated a New Zealand driver was at fault when a car accident happened. In this case, the public tends to believe that New Zealanders usually are the victims of car accidents, and Chinese drivers “rip and destroy families”. Similarly, the media tend to implicate “Māori” when a violent or criminal action takes place, while Pākehā New Zealand ethnicity is seldom identified in the media.

Looking back at the horrific and heart-breaking terrorist attack which happened in Christchurch this year, it is the first time that mainstream media focused on Muslim families and reported about their struggles (Kino, 2019 ). Flowers were piled in front of mosques and many anti-racism posters were put on the streets. I feel like this is the first time since I moved to New Zealand that the voice of Muslim people was acknowledged. Before this tragic incident happened, the voices of Muslim people were disregarded and the media spoke heavily of terrorism when they mentioned Muslim people. (Kino, 2019)

Stereotyping is a serious issue that we need to be aware of, and we as social workers need to be dedicated to eliminating stereotyping altogether. Stereotyping is so close and connected to social work practice that sometimes you might not even realise it when you are doing it. As a social work student, I remember the first day I started my degree at the University of Auckland, a Māori lecturer asked the class a question: “What do you think are stereotypes about Māori?”. The consensus was that Māori stereotypes were “violent”, “homeless”, “lazy”, “criminals” and “alcoholics”. Many answers were negative toward the Māori population, with only a few positive comments provided. The Māori lecturer then said: “As social workers, we are here to reduce those stereotypes, and hopefully one day, when I ask the same question again, there will be more positive comments about us. When that day comes, we as social workers can finally say that we have done our jobs.”.

Reference

Kino, S. (2019, March 23). I’m struggling to be a journalist in New Zealand right now [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/23-03-2019/im-struggling-to-be-a-journalist-in-new-zealand-right-now/

Mason, S. (2018, May 16). A warped view of social work in the media is unfair – and dangerous. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/social-life-blog/2018/may/16/media-social-work-press-state-children

NZ Herald. (2019, January 23). Data shows you can’t blame foreign drivers for high road crash rate. Retrieved from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12194979

Quick, D., & Scott, A. L. (2018). Affect and emotion in a parent’s engagement with statutory child-protection services: Navigating stigma and ‘identity assault’. The British Journal of Social Work, 49(2), 485-502.

Social Activism: Is the public fighting a losing battle?

By Hopeful Citizen

Activism has become redefined in today’s society. With the internet and social media, this enables people to have a more prominent voice and educate themselves on different issues. There has also been an increasing awareness of social injustices and how they intersect. However, there is still an immeasurable divide in the power imbalance of politicians and the public. It feels at times that politicians entertain the demands of the public, yet there are still situations which demonstrate their ultimate power over decision making. Particularly decisions regarding people or groups which are not represented in government, or are a minority.

Despite the progression of society, it often feels as though society takes one step forwards and two steps back. It can feel disheartening and disempowering when the perspectives of marginalised groups are not represented. Having the likes of President Trump being, is a wakeup call to people to the fragility of the political system. In the instance of abortion laws, in the United States currently, politicians are putting more restrictions against women or stripping away their rights or access entirely. This is alarming as it heightens the uncertainty around other laws, which could also be in jeopardy. This is reproductive rights intersects with the rights of women, people of colour and people from lower socioeconomic groups, as they are statistically more affected by these limitations and access to resources.

I think this is a contributing factor to the unrest in New Zealand and the push to remove abortion from the Crimes Act, in order to protect all women’s rights in the future. As well as to be more vocal about other issues, in order to ensure that these are being heard and hopefully addressed. People of differing age groups and identities appear to be coming together, as there is growing awareness of the intersectionality involved. This activism is also changing in the sense that it is becoming more ingrained in our conversations (Marvelly, 2018) . An example of this is New Zealand’s appallingly high suicide rates. Suicide often carries taboo, stigma and shame associated with it. In the New Zealand media, there is a law around how suicide is reported and it needs to be careful to increase the understanding of it, not the risk of suicide (Mental Health Foundation, 2019). Suicide is a phenomenon which has limited understanding. In recent years, it has become a more talked about issue and there have been many media campaigns urging people to reach out in times of need. As well as celebrities and other affluent people speaking out about person experiences, which has contributed to breaking down stigma around mental health issues. 

This is a social movement which is being reflected in government policies. With the Wellbeing Budget which government released just last week, there was a clear focus on mental health, in order to improve accessibility and funding. This has also been seen in politicians valuing the insight from those with lived experience. Last year the Law Commission in New Zealand gathered public submissions on their views on the abortion debate. They received 3,419 submissions (Law Commission, 2018). In the United States, just days ago, there was a Subcommittee on the Threats to Reproductive Rights in America. This consisted of a panel of women, giving testimonies from a range of lived experience, doctors, a professor, a lawyer and a minister, giving their views on the abortion debate. This was an interesting situation in which the public had an opportunity and platform to share their views in court. This was a diverse range of people, including different ethnic and socioeconomic groups and they were all women, given that this is a women’s issue.

Intersectionality is both theory and practice, it is as much about talking as it is about lobbying, therefore activism take many forms (Joy, 2019). It didn’t feel right to talk about a sole social issue and how social workers relate, when we are present in all areas of inequality intersectionality. Therefore, we are in a position to not only empower others, but to use our insight, passion and awareness to advocate for change. The simple protest of challenging stigmatising language used by others, or discriminatory beliefs is another small step towards gaining equality and justice for all humankind. This can be difficult, particularly whilst working within systemic pressures (Bartley, 2019). But we can’t give up without a fight.

References:

Bartley, L. (2019, January 21). Where has my radicalism gone? [Blog post]. Retrieved from: http://www.reimaginingsocialwork.nz/2019/01/where-has-my-radicalism-gone-revisited/

Joy, E. (2019). “You cannot take it with you”: Reflections on intersectionality and social work. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work 31(1), 42-48. Retrieved from: https://anzswjournal.nz/anzsw/article/view/560

Law Commission. (2018). Alternative approaches to abortion law. Retrieved from: https://www.lawcom.govt.nz/abortion

Marvelly, L. (2018, March 10). Activism is in the air – and it’s great. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12008831

Mental Health Foundation. (2019). Reporting & portrayal of suicide. https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/media/reporting-and-portrayal-of-suicide/

Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties (Panel). (2019). Threats to Reproductive Rights in America[YouTube]. United States of America: House Judiciary Committee Hearings. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVvv3JRCVQAl6ovogDum4hA

Photo: http://politicalpunchline.com/womens-march-signs/cant-believe-still-protesting-this-shit/  

cant-believe-still-protesting-this-shit

Mental health issues: The ultimate victim blaming

By Larissa Bottomley

Mental health issues seem to be everywhere these days. If I had a dollar for every time someone said they have anxiety or depression, I’d be able to buy all the medication to cure said mental health issues. Unfortunately, I’ve heard of many victims of abuse diagnosed with mental health issues too. Schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, the list goes on. But is diagnosing victims of abuse helping them, or harming them?

Hopefully after reading this, you might agree that actually, it’s just another form of victim-blaming.

Firstly, let’s talk about victim blaming.

This is when blame and responsibility of the abusive incident is placed on the person who was abused, and not the person who did the abusing. Most of the time, we think of victims blaming as things like “she shouldn’t have been out that late at night” or “she was wearing a very short skirt when she was assaulted”. If you need any other examples of victim blaming, you can find them here by Suzzanah Wiess, 2016.

Now let’s talk about mental health and psychiatric disorders.

The DSM (Diagnostic statistical manual for mental health disorders) is full of disorders that many victims of abuse are diagnosed with. Jessica Eaton, a forensic psychologist who specializes in gender-based violence, talks in her webinar about how every diagnosis in the DSM is strongly correlated with trauma. Therefore, one could argue that mental health disorders may be caused or exacerbated by traumatic events. Yet, instead of saying “actually, the way you are behaving is completely normal given what’s happened to you”, we tend to diagnose the victim and place the problem on her. She is no longer behaving in this way because of the trauma inflicted up on her, but because of her own internal issues that need to be treated and medicated.

So we’ve talked about how diagnosing places the problem on the victim, which internalizes and stigmatizes the trauma instead of normalizing it. If you’re still on the edge about calling pathologizing a form of victim blaming, then we should talk about abusers using the diagnosis against their victims. Will Bratt, a trauma therapist, discusses in his blog how abusers will often blame their behaviour on the victim’s mental health issues. Statements like “her anxiety made me angry and want to punch something” or “she knows her paranoid schizophrenia pushes all my buttons” is all too common, and is a means for the abusers to justify their heinous acts toward the victim. Imagine going through a traumatizing event, then being told your reaction to it means you have a problem and this needs to be medicated, then to top it off, your partner uses it against you as a reason to get angry and further revictimize you.

I want to lastly talk about how the court process is the last step in the pathologization of victim blaming. I’m sure we’ve all heard the stereotypes around mental health issues. For example, if I were to say “schizophrenia”, what would you think? Hearing and seeing things that aren’t there? Paranoia? Their reality is different to ours? Or what about personality disorders. Overly emotional? Manipulative? Impulsive and reckless? I’m sure we have stereotypes for many mental health disorders. And unfortunately, the courts aren’t much different. In a blog I read about this, ‘The system is broken’ it was highlighted that police see victims when they are hysterical and acting emotively, while the offender is often very calm and confident, leading ill-informed police to side with the abuser, and believe the victim’s mental health diagnosis is the cause of the incident, when in fact this is a natural response to a highly stressful and traumatic event. This gets worse as victims attempt to testify in court against the abuser, as people with mental health issues are often seen as not credible or reliable in court. This makes court processes often favour the abuser, and most victims with mental health diagnoses lose their court battle due to the pathology being used against them.

Mental health disorders do more harm than good for victims of abuse. We need to stop pathologizing victims and start calling their behaviours and reactions for what they are; responses to a trauma that was forced upon them.

Elder abuse is left in the grey

By Heng Yi Xin

The state’s duty to intervene when situations go awry for children has been imprinted in the nation’s consciousness as early as 1890. However, the same recognition has not been extended to a group who experience abuse at a comparable rate– the elderly.  This is worrying as New Zealand is expected to witness a 77% increase in the number of New Zealanders above age 65 between now and 2036 .

Apart from experiencing a brief spike in news coverage in June (when World Elder Awareness Day is commemorated), there is hardly any momentum to demand for an urgent response. Elder abuse is only mentioned four times in the Ministry of Health’s Healthy Ageing Strategy and an arguably toothless directive to “update the 2007 Family Violence Intervention Guidelines on elder abuse and neglect” was given to address the issue.

A policy response to elder abuse has not been directly articulated by the Labour Party, although a Joint Inquiry into Aged Care was made in collaboration with the Green Party and Grey Power (an advocacy group for citizens aged 50 and above) in 2017. The National Party is still tentatively crafting their aging policy and has encouragingly listed “elder abuse and neglect” as an issue of concern in their online survey. This issue has not made its way into New Zealand First’s coalition priorities either.

Recommendations made by the Joint Inquiry into Aged Care are worthy of consideration. There were calls for the establishment of an Aged Care Commissioner who will investigate allegations of elder abuse and complaints made against nursing homes. Currently, this portfolio is subsumed under the role of the Health and Disability Commissioner, who is undertaking the juggling act of advocating for better disability, mental health and addiction services. Equally pertinent was the proposal to standardise the quality of aged care; elderly abuse and neglect prevention services are currently contracted to a range of organisations across the country, such as Age Concern.

The extent to which this issue is covered by existing laws is arguably limited. Elder abuse is protected by a hodgepodge legislation, such as the Protection of Personal Property Rights Act 1988 (deals with enduring powers of attorney), Crimes Act 1961 (the carer has a legal duty to protect vulnerable adults from injury) and the Privacy Act 1993 (banks have a duty of confidentiality to customers, but can do little beyond asking the customer “Are you okay?”).

The unique nature of elder abuse demands a separate piece of legislation. As noted by the Ministry of Health in the 2007 Family Violence Intervention Guidelines and assessments of cognitive capacity may need to be conducted. Additional resources are needed to ensure that the older person’s voice is heard in the decision making process; having diminished capacity does not justify exclusion.

There might be hesitation to implement an elder abuse law due to varying definitions of being “elderly”. As Moir, Blundell, Clare and Clare (2017) argue, victims in their 40s, 50s and 60s risk being overlooked if an arbitrary line is drawn at age 65. This can be easily reconciled by defining the target population as “adults at risk” with old age as but one risk factor for abuse.

Adult protection legislation is already an established practice in the UK. The Care Act 2014 gave local authorities in the UK the power to safeguard adults whose wellbeing has been compromised by abuse and neglect. The Welsh Government has followed suit with the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, while Scotland has had the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act as early as 2007. The Australian Law Reform Commission’s 2016 Discussion Paper on Elder Abuse also recommended the introduction of an adult safeguarding law and a screening process to ascertain the suitability of all employees working in the aged care sector – much like the safety check introduced by the Children’s Act in 2014 for the child protection workforce in New Zealand.

Social workers in New Zealand should critically evaluate recommendations made by the Joint Inquiry into Aged Care and take a step further to consider the desirability of an adult protection law and adult protection services. Elder abuse should no longer be left in the grey.

Photo credit Retrieved from Flickr, by The Other Dan, 2006, Retrieved 2019, June. 4, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/58919362@N00/332174596. Copyright 2006 by CC BY-NC 2.0.

References

Australian Law Reform Commission. (2017). Elder abuse: A national legal response. Retrieved from https://www.alrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/pdfs/publications/elder_abuse_131_final_report_31_may_2017.pdf.

Macandrew, R. (2018, June 15). Financial abuse of elderly ‘rampant’ in New Zealand with drug-use part of the problem. Stuff. Retrieved from  https://www.stuff.co.nz/.

Ministry of Health. (2007). Family violence intervention guidelines: Elder abuse and neglect. Retrieved from https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/family-violence-guideliens-elder-abuse-neglect.pdf.

Ministry of Health. (2016). Healthy ageing strategy. Retrieved from https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/healthy-ageing-strategy_june_2017.pdf.

Moir, E., Blundell, B., Clare, J., & Clare, M. (2017). Best practice for estimating elder abuse prevalence in Australia: Moving towards the dynamic concept of ‘adults at risk’ and away from arbitrary age cut-offs. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 29(2), 181-190. doi: 10.1080/10345329.2017.12036095.

New Zealand Labour Party, Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and Grey Power. (2017). Inquiry into aged care. Retrieved from https://www.greens.org.nz/sites/default/files/policy-pdfs/Aged%20Care%20Report%20Sep17.pdf.

SuperSeniors. (n.d.). Our ageing population. Retrieved from http://www.superseniors.msd.govt.nz/about-superseniors/media/key-statistics.html.

The social injustice of drug prohibition

By LSW

In 2020 Aotearoa will vote in a referendum on legalising the recreational use of cannabis for adults. While the pro-legalisation campaign #makeitlegal promotes the economic and social benefits of legalisation, prohibitionist campaign Say Nope To Dope offers stark warnings of potential health risks and possible social costs.

The cannabis referendum is a start, but we must also have a public conversation about the criminalisation of other drugs. Drug prohibition is an issue of social justice, and therefore an issue for social work. Prohibition has a history rooted in racism, as a tool used to criminalise and incarcerate marginalised populations. In the United States, cannabis, opium, and cocaine were criminalised to target the respectively Latino, Chinese, and black populations that favoured their use (Drug Policy Alliance, 2019). In the 1970s, US President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs, acknowledged by senior administration members as a tactic to criminalise and marginalise his opponents via an engineered association with illicit substances (Drug Policy Alliance, 2019). In Aotearoa, Māori are disproportionately arrested, charged, and convicted for cannabis-related offences (NZ Drug Foundation, 2016). The current system where drugs are prohibited but offenders charged at the discretion of officers of the institutionally racist police contributes to this disproportionality, with Pākehā drug users significantly more likely to receive pre-charge warnings than their Māori counterparts (NZ Drug Foundation, 2015).

On top of its dubious history, drug prohibition has failed. Prohibition has not eliminated the use of illicit substances, instead succeeding only in creating significant stigma toward drug users and pushing the problem of drug addiction underground. Harmful language towards and a negative media portrayal of drug users have othered the group, with addicts noting strong feelings of social exclusion and discrimination (GCODP, 2017). The fact is, drug use is not uncommon. 44% of New Zealanders will try an illegal substance at some point. Those that do not will know someone who has, often without realising. The vast majority of this substance use is non-harmful and most people will go on to lead entirely normal lives. Harm that does arise will usually be a direct result of prohibition: through a criminal conviction, causing untold personal hardship to those unfortunate enough to be charged by the police, or through untreated addiction, compounded by social stigma preventing the seeking of help. 

Drug prohibition is ineffective, unjust, racist, and harmful, and I challenge it in accordance with the IFSW global social work statement of ethical principles . Social workers must add their professional opinion to the public discourse around drug-law reform.


Is this the right way to treat drug-related harm?

Photo by Tom Blackout on Unsplash.com

I personally advocate for a shift to a different model based on harm-reduction. An effective and proven way to reduce the harms of drug use is via a health-based approach facilitated by decriminalisation. Removing criminal penalties in conjunction with expanding education and addiction treatment services corresponds with a lessening of stigma around drug use and empowers those with addictions to seek help. Health-focused approaches have proven successful in countries such as Switzerland and Portugal , which have both seen significant reductions in hard drug use and related harm, particularly deaths from overdose, since adopting such models.

In those countries and others, Supervised Consumption Services (SCS) function as a safe place for users to consume substances. SCS additionally facilitate contact between users, who may otherwise be socially isolated, and professionals employed in the facilities such as social workers. Support for problems with substance use and addiction, or (emphasis on) possible correlating issues such as social deprivation and mental illness  respectively, can thus be offered to users in a non-coercive, non-judgemental manner.

Or should it look more like this?

Photo by Joshua Ness on Unsplash.com

Minister of Police Stuart Nash has acknowledged “we cannot arrest our way out of our drug abuse problems”. Decriminalisation is a more effective, efficient, and empathetic alternative to prohibition for addressing drug-related harm, and deserves the support of not only social workers but all who are tired of the harm brought about by the failed war on drugs. Further potential harm-reduction via ‘cautious, incremental and evidence-based’ legalisation and regulation as supported by the Global Commission on Drug Policy (2018, p. 7) must also be explored; a topic for another post.

References

Drug Policy Alliance. (2019). A brief history of the drug war. Retrieved from http://www.drugpolicy.org/issues/brief-history-drug-war

Global Commission on Drug Policy. (2017). The world drug perception problem. Retrieved from http://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/GCDP-Report-2017_Perceptions-ENGLISH.pdf

Global Commission on Drug Policy. (2018). Regulation: The responsible control of drugs. Retrieved from http://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/ENG-2018_Regulation_Report_WEB-FINAL.pdf

New Zealand Drug Foundation. (2016). There’s something wrong with the sentences. Matters of Substance. 27(4). Retrieved from https://www.drugfoundation.org.nz/matters-of-substance/november-2016/sentencing-wrongs/

New Zealand Drug Foundation. (2015). How well are pre-charge warnings working? Matters of Substance. 25(4). Retrieved from https://www.drugfoundation.org.nz/matters-of-substance/november-2014/pre-charge-warnings-working/

I’m worried for our world

By Keyboard Worrier

I’m worried for our world. Growing up, climate change was embedded in the school curriculum in classes like social studies. It just became that though, a topic, something that we needed to understand, but not something we were encouraged to significantly do something about. Other than the good ol’ reduce, reuse, recycle slogan that was ingrained into our psyche since we were children, there seemed to be a lack of thought about what went on after you put an item in the rubbish bin. We were taken on visits to the local dump and shown piles of smelly trash that would soon be buried underground. Educating us on what a sustainable future would look like by simply following the 3Rs, we’d be safe from a climate catastrophe. Now that I’m older, I realised that we were being shown the massive screw up of the generations that came before us. The burden of fixing this rotting world has been placed on us. Children such as Greta Thunberg are taking climate change seriously through leading the global campaign of ‘School’s Climate Strike’ and unashamedly telling our world leaders the harsh reality that no one wants to hear.

I’m worried for our world. I’ve always made a conscious effort in picking up after myself, and calling out others who were to litter; but thinking about minimising or even eliminating the amount of unrecyclable plastic from my lifestyle was daunting. It was that, a normal part of my everyday lifestyle. Earlier this year with the reminder of the 11 years we have before we have a full on climate crisis, I started not sleeping. Lying awake at night thinking about what can we possibly do to save this beautiful world that has been destroyed and taken for granted, all for our convenience and capital gain.

I’m worried for our world. Why are we using unrecyclable packaging in the first place? Who even thought that was a good idea? Unrecyclable or litter is just another euphemism for ‘it will exist forever’, ‘will never go away’, and ‘will continue to have it’s harsh chemicals leach into the earth it’s buried below or the oceans it washes up in’. The euphemisms sounds a lot nicer than the reality. Every time these companies produce products that can’t be recycled while producing greenhouse gases during the process, they are making the conscious decision to kill the planet. Out of sight, out of mind, has seemed to be the name of the game for far too long.  Something I’ve never understood is WHY are we using and creating goods that can’t be melted back down and made into something else? It just absolutely bewilders me. When I asked this question to a fellow classmate, they replied, “because of capitalism”. Ok I get that being sustainable isn’t the most profitable (apparently), but what’s the real opportunity cost here? Our planet is suffering. The challenge for world leaders is to unite, and bring in international law against producing goods that can’t be reused and recycled. Starting with packaging, as that has the shortest lifecycle of all. If capital gain is to continue getting in the way of saving our planet before it’s too late, I can’t think of anything more selfish.

As a tertiary student, with very little money and trying to get by on a budget, I’ve discovered truly how difficult it is to purchase goods with minimal plastic, or that are completely recyclable. On your next supermarket trip, look at everything that is packaged in unrecyclable, soft plastic. During my last visit, I found that the $3.50 frozen pizza had its entire packaging as soft plastic, but the $7 frozen pizza is in a carboard box that could be recycled. It’s obvious what the financially viable option is here, and thus helping the planet is made a battle between the rich and the poor.

I have realised that being sustainable while on a budget requires being organised, and if we want to save our planet we should all incorporate these simple things into our routine:

  • Prepare your lunch and bring it in to work or university in your reusable Tupperware container
  • Remember your keep cup
  • Don’t accept plastic straws (if you need one, invest in a metal reusable one)
  • Keep your reusable shopping bags in your car and don’t accept a plastic bag unless absolutely necessary. (if I forget mine I pay the price by having to try carry it all to the car with my hands)

We’ve run out of excuses for not choosing these sustainable options. You might not believe in a doomsday where we all feel the wrath of God, or even that the world could be one day overrun by a zombie apocalypse. However, I urge you to believe in a climate catastrophe that could soon be coming our way, because you can’t escape the facts of what is clearly going on around us. Like Greta said, we should be panicking.

Media articles of relevance:

EPA. (2017). Overview of Greenhouse Gases. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases

Thunberg, G. (25 January, 2019). ‘I want you to panic’: 16 year old issues climate warning at Davos – video. The Guardian.  Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2019/jan/25/i-want-you-to-panic-16-year-old-greta-thunberg-issues-climate-warning-at-davos-video

Thunberg, G. (16 April, 2019). Greta Thunberg’s emotional speech to EU leaders- video. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2019/apr/16/greta-thunbergs-emotional-speech-to-eu-leaders-video

United Nations. (28 March, 2019). High-level meeting on climate and sustainable development. United Nations. Retrieved from: https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/ga12131.doc.htm

Allyship 101: An Open Letter to Mr Potato

by Abbey Harrison

“It’s PC gone mad! What if I decided I identify as a potato?! I am going to be personally offended by any individuals who don’t refer to me as ‘Mr. Potato’ from now on!!”

I immediately ran through what my plan of attack was going to be in this situation. I was at work, and the man loudly expressing his eye-roll inducing opinion was a customer. I didn’t want to cause too much of a scene for fear of getting in trouble with my company. But, there I was, a cis-gender, heterosexual, white, middle-class woman who knew that it was my responsibility to be an ally to my queer peers/colleagues/neighbours/fellow Kiwis. So, I said what I could without getting in trouble; “Um, I mean, I don’t think the queer community are choosing to be who they are, I think they just are that way. I think that, maybe, humans are just much more complex than how we’ve been treating them”. From what I can recall, he didn’t have much to say to that, just muttered something about snowflakes and walked out.

As a social work student, I like to try to understand an individual’s perspective. Even though I know that there are many people in the world who have similar opinions to this man, I hadn’t spent a lot of time trying to get into their mindset. Is it tall poppy syndrome? Fear of change? Feeling behind the times? All of the above? Regardless, no matter how hard I tried to understand Mr. Potato’s perspective, I couldn’t help but think about the plight of the LGBTQIA+/Rainbow community in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

The statistics show us that one in every five students who identified their sexuality as non-heterosexual reported being bullied at school on at least a weekly basis. They also show that in 2012 almost half of queer youth in Aotearoa had seriously considered attempting suicide, and that 1-in-5 had actually attempted to take their own life. In a country where we were so quick to declare “this is not our NZ” in the wake of the Christchurch tragedy, it is astounding to me that these statistics are going unnoticed or ignored by wider New Zealand society.

In 2019 New Zealand it is simply unacceptable to be contributing to these horrifying statistics by erasing or invalidating the identities and lived experiences of our LGBTQIA+ whānau. By making jokes about the ‘identity alphabet’, sexuality preferences, or ‘snowflakes’ you are contributing to the discourse that the nuances and subtleties of a person’s personal identity are either unimportant or non-existent.

What do we, as humans, have to lose by making other humans feel respected, validated, and comfortable?

There are hundreds upon hundreds of incredible resources at our fingertips. These resources break down any questions someone may have about the LGBTQIA+ experience; from the differences between sex, gender identity, and gender expression, to the spectrum of sexual orientations and their meanings. People like Ash Hardell dedicate their lives to education around the LGBTQIA+ community (I highly recommend their ‘ABCs of LGBT’ series as a starting point!) Or, if you are looking for something closer to home, Rainbow Youth NZ designed the incredible ‘Inside Out’ for in-school education, but is really helpful in laying out the ins and outs of the LGBTQIA+ community and how we can better facilitate a rainbow-friendly community in very practical (and easy!) ways.

So, Mr Potato stick on your plastic ears and listen to me. Every human deserves to have their identity properly recognised and respected. If you don’t understand it, that’s okay, but please take my advice and educate yourself. We are all still learning, it is a never-ending process. But deliberate ignorance is no longer acceptable, it is time to treat people with the respect that you expect to be afforded to you.

References:

Ash Hardell. (2019, 5 June). Home [Ash Hardell]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/user/HeyThere005/videos

Harris, S. (2017, 2 August). Break The Silence: Rainbow suicide rate five times higher than mainstream. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11896922

Inside Out, Rainbow Youth. (Accessed on: 2019, 5 June). How to Use Inside Out for Teachers and Youth Workers. Rainbow Youth. Retrieved from: https://insideout.ry.org.nz/

New Zealand Family Planning. (2018, 17 May). People of Diverse Genders and Sexualities More Likely to be Bullied. Retrieved from: https://www.familyplanning.org.nz/news/2018/people-of-diverse-genders-and-sexualities-more-likely-to-be-bullied

Can I stay, or do I go?

By Jane Doe

The words “international student” translates into big money here in New Zealand.  In 2017, its economic value was recorded at $4.4 billion per annum, placing international education as New Zealand’s fourth largest export sector (New Zealand Education, 2018) . New Zealand’s education providers target, market and source applicants from countries such as China, India, Japan and Korea. The attraction for these countries is our internationally renowned education system. This incentive has total enrolment numbers recorded at 106,021 between 01 Jan to 31st Aug 2017 with over half being based in Auckland (New Zealand Education, 2017) . Logically if it keeps trending this way the numbers are only going to increase.

So, what do international students and intimate partner violence (IPV) have in common?  Nothing, right? But sadly, the answer is that there is often a correlation between the two and its prevalence is much higher than the average layperson would know.  In fact, for this group of women who have come to New Zealand believing that we are the land of ‘milk and honey’, and that through education they can change not only their trajectories but that of their families back home, that dream curdles at a rapid rate.

Intimate partner violence can happen to anyone: it is estimated that 1 in 3 women experience physical and or sexual violence at the hands of their partner (New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, 2017) with international students not being exempt, it seems.  This really should come as no surprise as they fit the potential ‘victim’ criteria perfectly!  Their lack of social connections, often poor communication skills, and a lack of understanding of New Zealand’s culture and high rates of IPV, can make them susceptible to becoming victims of violence.  It is often not long before they are in a relationship with either someone from their own culture who is now a New Zealand resident or someone New Zealand born, often considerably older.       

So, what makes their story any different to the hundreds and thousands of women who also become victims? Quite simply it is their legal status or lack thereof especially when the relationship has gone sour and they then discover they are pregnant!

So how does the dream unravel?

If you are from overseas and a fee-paying student, you need to hold a student visa (New Zealand Immigration, 2019) . This visa enables you to study here in New Zealand for up to four years, or the length of your course.  As well as this, depending on your visa conditions, you may also be allowed a maximum of 20 hours per week paid employment while studying. However, this visa does not guarantee residency or that your application is looked upon more favourably.

This uncertainty of residency may lead students to believe that a partner and a baby may be the security needed to gain residency. I do not know this for certain but what I do know is that the relationships that do develop can sometimes be controlling and violent. These international students are then left with very few options of escape or protection.

They are not a New Zealand resident so they cannot access legal aid, refuge in a safe house or a WINZ benefit. However, the baby is entitled to a lawyer. The mother also faces a raft of financial expenses as they have to pay for doctors and hospital bills due to their visa status as they cannot access free health care.  At times, the women are too scared to inform their families back home as often the cultural stigma of being an unmarried solo parent is heavily frowned upon. There is also the shame of knowing how much their families have sacrificed to find the money to send them to New Zealand.

So, what happens? Some stay in the relationship or go back to the violent partner and they continue to pay high emotional, physical and psychological costs. Some women face the horrible reality that they may be deported without their child as it is not uncommon for the father to want the baby just not the mother, especially if the child is male so they inevitably lawyer up! It truly becomes a legal, monetary nightmare of which there are no winners.

How do I know this? As a social work student, I discovered this hidden group of voiceless women while on placement at a leading New Zealand domestic violence service provider.

I was shocked at how prevalent this trend appeared to be. Do I have the answers? No! But in writing this I hope to raise awareness. It is our business to protect and look after the international students that we have lured to our shores. I believe that as a country that benefits financially from these international students then we need to ensure that some resources are available to support them when they need help. 

References

New Zealand Education. (2017). 2017 international student enrolment summary – as at 31 August 2017. Retrieved from https://enz.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/2017-T2-Student-Enrolments-Dashboard.pdf

New Zealand Education. (2018). International student enrolments are down but value holds. Retrieved from https://enz.govt.nz/news-and-research/media-releases/international-student-enrolments-are-down-but-value-holds/

New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse. (2017). Data Summaries 2017: Snapshot June. Retrieved from https://nzfvc.org.nz/sites/nzfvc.org.nz/files/Data-summaries-snapshot-2017.pdf

New Zealand Immigration. (2019). About this visa: Fee paying student visa. Retrieved from https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/apply-for-a-visa/about-visa/full-fee-paying-student-visa

Homelessness in New Zealand: The good, the bad and the ugly

By B-May

The first experience that required deep reflection of my attitudes toward homelessness was the time we had a new neighbour on our safe street of Remuera, the resident living in her car. I was bewildered by her arrival and slightly annoyed by her presence until I got to know her from afar. The more time she spent on the street, I understood her reality, the mundane routine that was exposed through the car window. On the winter mornings, she would leave early and return late at night, she could be seen illuminated through frost and street lights trying to stay warm through the bitter evenings. One day she was gone, and that moment taught me that homelessness is not a definition confined to living on the street. Homelessness is a social issue that we are all able to see, and those who face homelessness cannot hide their struggles or private lives.

Homelessness in New Zealand has existed since colonisation in the mid 1800s (New Zealand Parliament, 2014) and continue to grow through the development of urbanisation, globalisation and neoliberal ideologies. More recently, with the development of privatisation, gentrification and the ‘housing crisis’, New Zealand has been an increase in the population facing homelessness. Statistics estimated in 2013, there were around 41,000 homeless New Zealanders (Amore, 2016) and since has been a steady increase. It comes to no surprise that those who are over-represented facing social exclusion, those being Māori, Pasifika, LGBT and those with mental health issues or have a disability face homelessness (Housing First, 2018).

The exposure of homeless persons in the New Zealand media is not a new development, and such bigoted attitudes, such as the Otago Daily Times (1864) describing homeless people as of “ill health, filth and crime…the evil is allowed to quietly fester and accumulate” (p.4)(4) . More recently, in a report by Stuff, Amanda Saxton (2018)(5) ‘took to the streets’ of a West Auckland park to get a first-hand account of how the homeless individuals live. Using the prime opportunity to advocate for the marginalised and give exposure on the issue of homelessness, a prejudicial and subjective description was used

On these mornings, the homeless emerge sluggishly from beneath their bridge. If none show, a cop gets dispatched like a harried heading dog to muster anyone fit to play. He’ll return empty-handed if everyone down there’s zombied-out on synthetic cannabis (Saxton, 2018).

Regardless of bias opinions and misconstrued media representations, a defeatist outlook does not outweigh positive efforts of change. Some people do not share the same ideologies and seek emancipation for those who face social exclusion. Housing First New Zealand collective adopts a successful model used globally, recognising that people who face mental health issues and substance addiction find it much easier to address such hurdles when permanent housing if available (Housing First, n.d). The fundamental principle of Housing First is not about managing homelessness, but of ending it altogether. The collective advocates for those who face homelessness, listening to the stories and experiences of homeless New Zealanders to develop an awareness of the issue and improve the services they provide.

I believe the approach of Housing First is a positive step toward reducing and ending homelessness, and such an approach New Zealanders to understand the reality of people who live without adequate shelter. Mass media is used in ways that sensationalise social issues, but the first step for all of us is to educate ourselves to identify dominant discourses in society and determine propaganda that exists in news outlets.

As a future social worker, the experience of seeing homelessness at my doorstep taught me that I need to unpack the assumptions that are entwined into my own life and wider society. Homelessness is a result of colonisation, exploitation, oppression, government and policy, and the negative media representation mirrors such discourse. I believe that advocacy, redistribution of resources and a change in political regime is needed.

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