Open AccessKo wai au?
Author(s) -
Riki Paniora
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
aotearoa new zealand social work
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2463-4131
pISSN - 1178-5527
DOI - 10.11157/anzswj-vol20iss4id331
Subject(s) - sociology , wish , identity (music) , psychology of self , social psychology , psychology , media studies , aesthetics , anthropology , art
Ko wai au? He Tane au? He Papa au? He Tungane au? he tama o te atua au, Aye hei aha Ko wai au? All of the above and more.Who I am and what I am are two questions that have brought me to this point of reflection as I determine perhaps, what I am yet to become. Cultural identity is important for people’s sense of self and how they relate to others. A strong cultural identity can contribute to people’s overall wellbeing (Ministry of Social Development, 2007). Does culture play a significant role in my determination of who I am? The purpose of this article is to take stock of who I am so as to understand what I may become. My journey has been filled with both positive and negative experiences, all of which have shaped me into the man that I am today. I wish to share some of what I believe are significant engagement points in my life that have made me the person and the professional that I consider myself to be. From my own myriad of pulsating life patterns, three key personal experiences display who I am.