Social Work for Sociologists: Theory and Practice

CHAPtEr 6

Bicultural Practice:

Beyond Mere tokenism

Anaru Eketone and Shayne Walker

Introduction

Bicultural work, in the context of the peoples of Aotearoa/New Zealand, is
a complex and multifaceted subject, focused on relationships between indig-
enous Māori and nonindigenous Pākehā (white New Zealanders), as well as
relationships across different Māori groups. It brings together indigenous and
nonindigenous knowledge and practices that enhance people’s well-being. It
is crucially concerned with being culturally responsive and sensitive. This
chapter draws on the example of New Zealand, where sociology students
have often suffered from what Tolich (2002) called “Pakeha paralysis”—
avoidance by Pākehā of Māori frameworks, worldviews, and practice models,
and avoidance of Māori clients or research participants. This chapter will
consider the definitions, origins, relationships, and practice of biculturalism
that are relevant to social work and sociology.

Definitions and Origins of Biculturalism

Biculturalism is a contested term, as it has differing meanings depending on
the country and context. In the United States, for example, it can have two
meanings, first referring to bilingual education, in which students are taught
in both English and Spanish, and second, as a description of how minority
groups adapt to living in a dominant culture, thus becoming bicultural—
that is, learning to exist and develop in two cultural worlds (Smokowski
and Bacallao, 2007). In Canada, the term biculturalism was used during the
1960s to recognize the importance of the two dominant population groups,