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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Fern and the Tiki | 3/5 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fern_and_the_Tiki | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T08:55:40.676360+00:00 | kb-cron |
== Format and key ideas == Three chapters of the book explore the national character of New Zealanders. Ausubel identified a "blend of British and pioneering traits...[including]...the perceived virtues of both traditions and the vices of neither". In valuing their British heritage, New Zealanders see themselves as "reserved, unsentimental, respectful of authority, mindful of discipline, and prone to understatement". Instead of "British snobbishness, arrogance, haughty condescension and patronizing airs", the national image is one of "genial friendliness and an amiable, easygoing egalitarianism". Ausubel acknowledges that some of this was valid, but claims New Zealanders show considerable sentimentality in their choice of movies, often write "maudlin" in-memoriam notices, watch "gushingly sentimental" movies and participate in very emotional farewell ceremonies. He further questions whether New Zealanders are as friendly and hospitable as their self-image proclaimed. A "strong undercurrent of hostility toward foreigners" is noted, reflected in the resentment toward Americans, with Ausubel concluding that "the tide of anti-American feeling among the rank and file of New Zealanders today is probably stronger than ever before in history." Ausubel was surprised by how personally accountable he was held by "elderly gentlemen" for the behavior of American servicemen, [who] "dated New Zealand girls during World War II while they were risking their lives in the North African campaign." Ausubel also found it perplexing how rarely New Zealanders asked him to share knowledge about his home country, instead "parading all of their distorted notions and misconceptions about the United States gleaned from the latest picture magazines and Hollywood productions." Ausubel was puzzled by adult New Zealanders' apathy and lack of enthusiasm toward work, despite their physical activity in sports, gardening, and home projects. Although their self-image reflects frontier values of efficiency, ambition, and enterprise, he notes they lack urgency in pursuing vocational goals, concluding that New Zealanders have "less drive and eagerness to get ahead and advance in their jobs than is typical of Americans." It is suggested that the principles of the Welfare State, which embody the egalitarian ideal of preventing inequities due to privilege, may have inadvertently undermined "the respectability of occupational achievement and establish an undifferentiated scale of rewards for effort and ability." New Zealand parents are said to have not placed high value on the vocational achievement of their children, who often left school lacking "genuinely internalized needs for vocational achievement." Two chapters critically examine race relations in the country and while Ausubel concedes that these are generally better than many other countries, including the United States, they are not as good as New Zealanders claim. It is suggested that the American visitor, accustomed to racism in their own country, would be most disturbed by how uncritically New Zealanders accept "the unvalidated national belief regarding racial equality" and their reluctance to face unpalatable facts. He suggests that the real issue is "the national self-delusion which blocks recognition of the existence of a problem and thereby renders impossible the adoption of appropriate preventive and remedial measures".. According to the author, this stems from New Zealanders not grasping the difference between the apparent equality that Māori had "in the eyes of the law" and the reality that, due to "bigotry and intolerance," they were still discriminated against in areas such as housing, employment, or simply being welcomed into the homes of Pākehā. Ausubel discusses examples of discriminatory practices against Māori to support his claim that New Zealand has a colour bar. He asserts that authorities refuse to address "the shockingly sub-standard state of Māori housing." He also highlights the difficulties Māori face in obtaining hotel accommodation and, at times, being required to sit in segregated parts of cinemas. Additionally, he points out the reluctance of employers to hire Māori in "the skilled trades, offices, shops, and banks." Furthermore, he provides examples of anti-Māori sentiments from educators, some of whom believe it is a waste of time and money to send Māori children to post-primary school. The book examines Māori attitudes towards Pākehā, portraying their wariness as a justified response rooted in historical experiences and "an indispensable self-protective device that every cultural minority must learn if it is to survive". Ausubel claims that Māori recognize skin colour as a marker of an outsider, but there is no implication that white skin inherently signifies "racial inferiority". Acknowledged stereotypes held by Māori towards Pākehā are not seen "as related to any fixed assumptions regarding inherent racial traits or innate racial inferiority" and not amounting to discrimination, given the power dynamics favouring Pākehā in society. Ausubel expresses a "pessimism about the future", reflecting what he perceives as the tendency of New Zealanders to not recognise and address social problems such as race relations. He claims that this is in spite of "the impressive measure of legal equality enjoyed by Māori", some extra-legal equality "based on the long standing tradition of fair play and on the experience of almost a hundred years of peaceful co-existence", and the increased number of Māori "increasing their self-respect and raising their status in the eyes of their Pākehā neighbours" through becoming qualified in trades, teaching, nursing and farming. He notes that there are internationally recognised ways of "promoting more harmonious race relations that are relevant to the New Zealand experience," while concluding: "The most important step in improving Māori-Pākehā relations...is to overcome the prevailing complacency and self-deception about the situation."