We started by considering the DomPost article by asking what are the NZ characteristics that make us who we are, as raised in the article. Generally fed up with rugby – even before the World Cup starts; we agreed that rugby doesn’t represent NZ. Other suggestions were honesty, women’s rights, equality/workers rights, welcome immigrants, multiracial. The flag will not define us – but how we treat people.
The social survey consisted of factual and values based questions – one being characteristics which one feels are important to being a NZer? Some thought ‘being born here’ or ‘brought up in NZ from young age’, others simply ‘to feel like a NZer’ – which would imply that they have lived in NZ for some considerable time.
Another question was how do you see yourself as a NZer or member of ethnic group, or if both which predominately?