The first settlers of New Zealand were the Maori people. When the Maori people first arrived in New Zealand, the men continuously worked on providing for their large families by taking care of the land that they owned. The women were more involved in caring for the family and occasionally doing work around the farm to help the men. There were occasional opportunities for the Maori women to gain jobs outside of the home, but they were not common and usually only seasonal. It wasn’t until the Maori population began to grow as more ventured to New Zealand, that actual jobs were offered to the Maori women. Because of the larger population, the amount of land that a family had became increasingly smaller, so more jobs were being offered away from the home, to both men and women (McLintock 1). An Encyclopedia of New Zealand states, “…more and more have had to go to larger centres for both training and work, and have with credit become efficient teachers, nurses, toll operators, factory workers, tram conductresses…” (McLintock 1). With the introduction of more jobs opportunities to the Maori women, they have become top performers in man-dominated fields such as doctors, politicians and professors (McLintock 1).
When the Europeans ventured to New Zealand, it was primarily men. It wasn’t until Protestant missionaries and the New Zealand Company brought the ideal of marriage and family in the early 1800’s, that the men began to realize how beneficial it would be. It was not long after when the New Zealand Company began to bring over women (Macdonald 1). Charlotte Macdonald wrote in Women and Men, “Girls and women looked after children and housework, while boys and men took on farm and outdoor work” (Macdonald 1). However, even though women were bringing brought over very often, they were still a minority. Even to this day, men dominate the work force, but the fight for women’s rights as increased the amount of women taking jobs that were primarily based for men (“Countries and Their Cultures”). The stereotype of men being the supporter and women being the caretaker slowly began to disappear and there was more gender equality when it came to work and family. However it is apparent that, “men continued to earn more than women, and women still did much of the housework and childcare” (Macdonald 1). Although this may be true, it does not necessarily mean that it will be like this 10 years from now in the country of New Zealand.
Now looking back at my previous prediction, and the research I have now found on the societal roles of men and women in New Zealand, I think my conclusion is similar to my prediction. The Maori women and early European women were labeled as the caretakers, making sure the house was clean, the food was made, and the children were taken care of. And as predicted, the men did the heavy work, by having the full time jobs or taking care of the family farm. The life depicted of the women and men in New Zealand reminds me a lot of what I learned about in American history, although it is not entirely the same. Across the world, I feel that men still dominate the work force, but women are strong, and fighting against that. Women have made huge strides from just being the caretaker of the family, to now even being the provider for the family. I can only imagine what the societal roles of men and women will be like in New Zealand in the future, and across the world.
Citations:
Macdonald, C. (2013, August 23). Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/women-and-men
Mclintock, A. (Ed.). (1966). Maori Women. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/womens-role-in-new-zealand-society/page-9
New Zealand. (2015). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/New-Zealand.html