ABSTRACT

This paper explores the intersection between place, culture and identity as evidenced through photographic narratives of Pacific Island children, based in Samoa and a diasporic community in New Zealand. The study was undertaken with 71 children aged 6–14 in Samoa (35) and New Zealand (36). A Talanoa/fa’afaletui (conversation-based) Pacific research approach was used to analyse 1285 children’s photos of ‘things that matter to them’. Most photos showed multiple layers of meaning (e.g. sensory, love, pride, memory). Plants were most frequently featured in Samoan children’s photos and family in New Zealand. Through the photos and conversations, children articulate dynamic and multi-layered connections to place, identity and belonging. For diasporic children, their Island of origin is central to their identity and articulated through cultural, family and community connections. An adapted place attachment model is proposed to help better understand children’s place attachment, sense of belonging and their Pacific Island identity.

摘要

本文探讨了地点、文化和身份之间的交集，这通过以萨摩亚和新西兰的一个散居社区为基地的太平洋岛屿儿童的摄影叙述得到了证明。该研究是在萨摩亚（35 名）和新西兰（36 名）的 71 名 6-14 岁儿童中进行的。塔拉诺阿/fa'afaletui（基于对话）太平洋研究方法被用来分析 1285 张儿童的“对他们来说很重要的事物”的照片。大多数照片显示了多层意义（例如感觉、爱、自豪、记忆）。植物最常出现在新西兰的萨摩亚儿童照片和家庭中。通过照片和对话，孩子们表达了与地点、身份和归属感的动态和多层次的联系。对于散居儿童来说，他们的原籍岛是他们身份的核心，并通过文化、家庭和社区联系来表达。提出了一个适应的地方依恋模型，以帮助更好地了解儿童的地方依恋、归属感和他们的太平洋岛国身份。