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• Words/Nga Kupu
  Ben V Gray
  Published on: 16 September 2021

• Published on: 16 September 2021

  Words/Nga Kupu

  • Ben V Gray, Associate Professor University of Otago Wellington

  Words/Nga Kupu*
  The suggestion of a “Words” column focussing particularly on words from a non-western ethical tradition is great. We are journeying through perilous waters and will need to adapt our ethical framework to the new reality. A value of diversity is that we can draw on concepts from other traditions. Of course, a “Word” in a language you do not speak is of no use. The word is part of a language, which is the embodiment of a culture, and ethics is inevitably culture bound. Even words shared between cultures do not necessarily share exact meanings. A consideration of Justice within the bioethical community culture would be incomplete without reference to Rawls. A consideration of Justice within a Māori community would be centred around Te Tiriti o Waitangi/ The Treaty of Waitangi(1). A simple translation is not enough. The definition of Whakawhanaungatanga is a good starting place, but more depth is needed. It is embedded in a Māori concept of health(2), and the richness of the concepts cannot be appreciated without appreciating the context in which it is used. Whilst it is a Māori word it is now also a New Zealand word. A whole generation of medical students have been taught Māori concepts of health, including Whakawhanaungatanga, significantly spearheaded by the work of Pitama and Lacey(3). Parry as a 5th year student wrote a heart-warming case study that illustrated the value of using these concepts(4). The New Zealand ethical landscape is an example of t...

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  Words/Nga Kupu*
  The suggestion of a “Words” column focussing particularly on words from a non-western ethical tradition is great. We are journeying through perilous waters and will need to adapt our ethical framework to the new reality. A value of diversity is that we can draw on concepts from other traditions. Of course, a “Word” in a language you do not speak is of no use. The word is part of a language, which is the embodiment of a culture, and ethics is inevitably culture bound. Even words shared between cultures do not necessarily share exact meanings. A consideration of Justice within the bioethical community culture would be incomplete without reference to Rawls. A consideration of Justice within a Māori community would be centred around Te Tiriti o Waitangi/ The Treaty of Waitangi(1). A simple translation is not enough. The definition of Whakawhanaungatanga is a good starting place, but more depth is needed. It is embedded in a Māori concept of health(2), and the richness of the concepts cannot be appreciated without appreciating the context in which it is used. Whilst it is a Māori word it is now also a New Zealand word. A whole generation of medical students have been taught Māori concepts of health, including Whakawhanaungatanga, significantly spearheaded by the work of Pitama and Lacey(3). Parry as a 5th year student wrote a heart-warming case study that illustrated the value of using these concepts(4). The New Zealand ethical landscape is an example of the extent to which ethics is culture bound. Whilst traditional ethical principles remain they are increasingly augmented by Māori concepts. The related word Whanaungatanga is one of the principles in “Te Ture Whakaruruhau Code Of Ethical Principles For Public Health in Aotearoa New Zealand”(5). I look forward to further contributions.
  * Māori language translation of words.
  1. Mutu M. ‘To honour the treaty, we must first settle colonisation’ (Moana Jackson 2015): the long road from colonial devastation to balance, peace and harmony. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 2019;49(sup1):4-18.
  2. Durie M. Whaiora Maori Health Development. Second Edition ed. Melbourne Australia: Oxford University Press; 1998.
  3. Lacey C, Huria T, Beckert L, Gilles M, Pitama S. The Hui Process: a framework to enhance the doctor–patient relationship with Māori. Journal of the New Zealand Medical Association. 2011;124(1347).
  4. Parry R, Jones B, Gray B, Ingham T. Applying a Māori-centred consultation approach for engaging with Māori patients: an undergraduate medical student case study. Journal of Primary Health Care. 2014;6(3):254-60.
  5. Public Health Association of New Zealand Incorporated. Te Ture Whakaruruhau Code Of Ethical Principles For Public Health in Aotearoa New Zealand. Wellington New Zealand2012 [Available from: https://www.pha.org.nz/page-18201.

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  Conflict of Interest:
  None declared.

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