Lay summary
Young Maori parents resiliently raise children despite ill-found stigmatisation and perceived social and cultural crises that problematise youth, culture and teen pregnancy as contributing to poor outcomes across a range of social and economic indices. This project will contribute to my area of interest which is understanding and improving the health and wellbeing of young Maori. Grounded in a te ao Maori view of procreation, whanau and contemporary cultural constructions of teen parenthood, this research will explore positive examples of young Maori parenting. Using a whanau-centred, tikanga based methodology, young Maori parents will share their experiences of birth, pregnancy and parenting. Understanding the dynamics of being a parent while young and Maori and the factors which contribute to their health and wellbeing will be invaluable for informing health policy, research and services that enhance the health and wellbeing of Maori parents, tamariki, and whanau.