Origin of NZ Society - Cultural Patterns and Social Groups

Running head: HEALTHCARE
HEALTHCARE
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Introduction
New Zealand is recognized as a multicultural country of around 4.5 million people in
which the Asian populace incorporates inhabitants coming from China. However, the
populace of Asians has increased rapidly in recent years (Stephenson et al., 2015). Chinese
communities constitutes of culturally-patterned model for theorizing health complications
which involves the understanding of effectiveness of diverse types of treatments. However,
taking into consideration the continuing significance of traditional medicines in contemporary
world, New Zealanders have found that Chinese medicine professionals show great
divergence and incline more towards their established normal views rather focusing on
modern western mental health professionals (Li & Hu, 2017). The following essay will
discuss the origins of the NZ society and concept of cultural patterns and social groups in NZ.
Additionally, it will have an impact on the role of the Chinese medicine profession in modern
MZ health system. Furthermore, it will draw comparison of NZ health and social care system
and explain its historical growth in last fifty years.
Discussion
Origins of New Zealand system and concept of culture and social groups
The Maori were the first ancestors to land in New Zealand. They most likely arrived
from Polynesia between the period of 1200 and 1300 AD. They eventually discovered the
country with their exploration of the Pacific, directing by ocean streams as well as the winds
as well as stars. New Zealand comprises of a very distinct and dynamic culture. The cultural
patterns of its Indigenous Maori have influenced its language, arts along with the accents of
the New Zealanders (Harmsworth et al., 2016). The concept of culture in NZ is primarily
seen as a Western culture which has been leveraged by the distinct environment and spatial
location of the islands along with a cultural contribution of the Indigenous Maori
communities. However, traditional medicine had been practiced by tohungas which have

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always been restored by Maori communities whereas few Pakeha had used alternative
medicinal methods. According to Stephensonet al. (2015), all forms of therapeutic practice
accentuated an integrated interaction between the physical and the non-physical.
The health position of New Zealanders has been shaped by historical occasions such
as world conflicts as well as financial miseries. The consequence on the socioeconomic
location of Maori of historical judgements as well as actions related to the openings of the
Treaty of Waitangi as well as land repossession has remained as significant for Maori health
even in the present day (Mason et al., 2017). Nevertheless, the globalisation of world
occupation guarantees that the health condition of the New Zealand inhabitants is still
subjective to economic predicaments in addition to promoting judgements in additional parts
of the world.
Impact and Role of TCM in NZ
The New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations used by Statistics New
Zealand describes Traditional Medicine (TM) as the cure of inequities of energy movements
through the body by assessing the whole body of the individual and utilising techniques as
well as methods associated with acupuncture along with Chinese herbal medicine as well as
massage or ‘tuina’, diet, exercise in addition to breathing therapy (qigong). As per reports, in
the 2000s the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) permitted the National
Diploma of Acupuncture, which has been formerly implemented as the standard for TM
consultants in New Zealand (Patel & Toossi, 2016). The Diploma is at present being phased
out and Chinese medicine schools have already shifted in providing NZQA-approved
bachelor degrees. However, the idea of TM among New Zealanders would impact the role of
Chinese medicine profession in NZ. According to Peiris-John et al. (2016), a range of
healthcare practitioners have revealed methods in which some Chinese inhabitants show
greater inclination in using TM as their primary form of treatment. Whereas, on the contrary,