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Whakama: culturally determined behaviour in the New Zealand Maori

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Perminder S. Sachdev
Perminder S. Sachdev*
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Institute, The Prince Henry Hospital, NSW, Australia
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Perminder S. Sachdev, Neuropsychiatric Institute, The Prince Henry Hospital, P.O. Box 233, Matraville, 2036 New South Wales, Australia.
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Synopsis

Whakama is a psychosocial and behavioural construct in the New Zealand Maori which does not have any exact equivalent in Western societies although shame, self-abasement, feeling inferior, inadequate and with self-doubt, shyness, excessive modesty and withdrawal describe some aspects of the concept. It is an important construct in order to understand the interaction of the Maori with each other and with the Caucasian New Zealander, the behaviour of the Maori in cross-cultural settings, and the clinical presentations of some Maori patients. This paper examines some of the meanings of Whakama, its various behavioural manifestations and its possible causes. The clinical relevance to psychiatry is emphasized.

Waiho ma te whakama e patu!

‘ Leave him alone he is punished by whakama ’ (Maori saying)

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , May 1990 , pp. 433 - 444
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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