III. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS
3.4. PROCEDIMIENTOS
3.4.3. Trabajos de laboratorio
The final component and new addition to the discussed model is ngā kare ā-roto. Kare ā-roto is the expression of emotions as an aspect of whanaungatanga in practice, which overlaps with wairuatanga where spiritual connections are felt between people and between objects (wharenui,90 taonga as examples). To consider whanaungatanga between people is to acknowledge human emotions that are felt and expressed by participants as they practise whanaungatanga in SNS. Kare ā-roto as a component has been included in this framework to acknowledge human emotion as integral to interactions and experiences with people, whether in a physical or virtual sense. Participants noted that they were able to feel and express emotions during their interactions with others. This helped them to feel more comfortable using SNS as it gave them a sense that those interactions were real and meaningful.
Wellman (2001) posed a question over a decade ago as to whether people can emotionally and cognitively experience relationships through computerised communication systems in the same ways that they experience face-to-face relationships. From this research, it is clear that interactions through SNS take on emotive and cognitive senses and enable the individual to feel a level of emotion that engages the user, at least in lieu of being face-to-face.
Rangatiratanga
It is important to note here, that rangatiratanga (which was an original component of whanaungatanga as expressed by Richie) is not included in my revision for SNS contexts. While participants noted that collective groups in SNS sometimes required membership to be verified (for example, an iwi board member might administer their
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iwi Facebook page and permission might be required from the iwi board, to allow members to join), there appeared to be less of a hierarchical structure in whanaungatanga practised in SNS. This could be due to the increasing ease of practising whanaungatanga and making connections with others through SNS, as opposed to having to do whanaungatanga face-to-face. Some participants discussed the breaking of barriers within SNS, when there might have usually been some difficulty initiating whanaungatanga with an iwi or hapū rūnanga,91 face-to-face, for example. Although rangatiratanga is an important component of whanaungatanga, participants did not discuss it as being integral to their whanaungatanga practise in SNS.
This revised model is made up of components as guiding principles as discussed in the literature. The components are seen as integral to whanaungatanga and furthermore provide a solid basis for how whanaungatanga is practised in SNS. The model does not explore the negative interactions that Māori may experience in SNS. The realities of SNS are that these spaces are vulnerable and accessible for threats, bullying and other invasions of privacy that can lead to serious damage and negative impacts. Other notable downsides to SNS that directly oppose positive whanaungatanga are marginalisation, exclusion, rejection, competitiveness, racism and discrimination. Participants involved in this study did not talk explicitly about these forms of negative experiences and interactions; however it may have been that participants did not feel comfortable discussing conflict they had experienced in SNS.
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Positive and meaningful whanaungatanga has only been discussed in this article; however it is acknowledged that these negative issues exist within SNS for Māori. This whanaungatanga model therefore provides a Māori way of thinking about and actioning positive relationship building and maintenance in SNS and potentially providing users with some key philosophies (the 7 components of the model) for positive whanaungatanga practise in SNS. More work is required around negative experiences of whanaungatanga that might harm or impact users of SNS.
Conclusion
Whanaungatanga, to a certain extent, has undergone a shift in meaning and practise. With new technologies available to us, ways of communicating and interacting have increased to the point where relationships can be forged and maintained between whānau, peers and groups for a range of different purposes via SNS such as Facebook. Whanaungatanga as a practice has changed from being a conduit only for whānau members to connect and strengthen ties to moving beyond whakapapa and including people with a common purpose for building a relationship. In this way, whanaungatanga is more aligned with terms such as socialising, hanging out and bonding.
Data and analyses presented here articulate and acknowledge a virtual form of whanaungatanga as a practice in SNS amongst Māori. This virtual form remains rooted in its foundational principles of whakapapa, kaupapa, wairuatanga, kotahitanga, manaakitanga, aroha and kare ā-roto. The whanaungatanga concept applied in SNS appears to be much more informal and applied to many more contexts and situations than it might have been when whakapapa was the driving principle and/or when whanaungatanga was only possible in face-to-face situations.
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It offers a concept and processes that Māori engage with as they work at relationships in SNS enabling them to form connections and strengthen ties with others in culturally recognisable ways.
Despite not having the physical human touch when practising whanaungatanga in SNS, emotions continue to be felt and expressed by users, providing a sense of meaningful interactions. Relationships are cared for and nurtured through the processes of whanaungatanga and without it the myriad social interactions that constitute community life would suffer.
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