N Z Med J. 2002 Dec; 115(1167): U272.

Tauiwi general practitioners talk about Maori health: interpretative repertoires.

McCreanor T, Nairn R.

Gender and Discourse Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. t.mccreanor@auckland.ac.nz

AIM: This paper reports findings from a qualitative research project investigating how Tauiwi general practitioners talk about Maori health. Tauiwi is a Maori term for non-Maori New Zealanders. METHODS: The transcripts of interviews with 25 general practitioners from urban Auckland on the topic of Maori health, were subjected to detailed discourse analysis. Through these readings, interpretative repertoires (patterns of language use on particular topics) that participants drew upon in their interviews, were described. RESULTS: We outline the main interpretative repertoires utilised by participants in their talk about Maori health. These include key explanatory forms relating to prevalence and causality of Maori health problems, and rationales for specialised practices when working with Maori. CONCLUSIONS: The repertoires, which are considered to be generalised discursive resources for the construction and elaboration of specific arguments, are oriented to constructions of Maori health that either blame Maori for their plight or justify existing service provision. As such, they are antithetical to arguments for changes to policy and practice that might bring about population-level health gains for Maori.