Early motherhood is a much debated and highly contentious topic. This research aimed to explore young Pākehā women's experiences of motherhood using a feminist qualitative framework. Twelve women, six current young mothers and six former young mothers, were interviewed via focus groups and individual interviews. The analysis revealed that Pākehā culture constructs young mothers as problematic because they challenge the 'traditional' family dominant in Pākehā culture. By having children prior to, rather than after, workforce participation and achieving economic independence, young mothers challenge the prescribed life trajectory for Pākehā women. The women in this study discussed both the positive aspects and the challenges they faced as young mothers. In contrast to common public perceptions and media representations of early motherhood as negative, motherhood positively transformed the women's lives. This was discussed in terms of ceasing destructive activities and gaining motivation to return to education. The young mothers in this study had flexible parenting styles, which allowed them freedom from Pākehā cultural pressure to 'do motherhood' in a particular way. As young mothers, the women had high energy levels and anticipated early future freedom from childcare duties to pursue their dreams. Challenges discussed by the women included incorporating unanticipated early motherhood into long-held life goals, feeling exhausted, having a lack of time for themselves and having too little support. Financial hardship, poverty, judgment and stigma surfaced as major challenges which affected all areas of the women's lives. However, the women also resisted this discrimination by using a range of strategies, which positions them as women with agency, challenging their representation within literature as passive victims. Young women will not use services where they perceive they will be judged for being who they are. As levels of support appear to determine how young women experience motherhood, services have a vital role to play in supporting young mothers. The findings of this study highlighted the complex and contradictory nature of the young mothers' stories, presenting a challenge to simple and stereotypical negative discourses of early motherhood.

This thesis explores the experiences of European New Zealanders who have learnt te reo Māori and how through their learning they have gained a better understanding of what it means to be Pākehā in New Zealand. This thesis looks at the reasons why European New Zealanders want to learn te reo Māori (chapter 5); experiences from learning te reo Māori and being involved with Māori culture within both te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā are also discussed (chapter 6). The concept of a Pākehā identity, one that involves a relationship with te ao Māori is also examined (chapter 7). The use of the term Pākehā by European New Zealanders is a rather recent phenomenon. The thesis endeavours to discover differences between those European New Zealanders who do and do not identify with the term 'Pākehā'. Which New Zealanders identify with the term 'Pākehā', and the examination of who finds the term derogatory is also discussed (chapter 4). Since European contact with Māori, fluency in te reo Māori in New Zealand has dramatically declined. As a background to the research undertaken here, this study also reviews the history of te reo Māori since European contact and the revitalisation efforts made by Māori to maintain the language. The exploration of the idea that te reo Māori can be the basis of a new national identity that all New Zealanders can share is also discussed (Chapter 2). This chapter also explores the origin and meaning of the term Pākehā, and the creation of popular usage of the term among European New Zealanders.