This learning object is one of a set of exercises and activities taken from the book 'Modern Social Work Practice' written by Mark Doel and Steven Shardlow. 'Whanau' is an activity which puts students in touch with the family dimension of social work practice, by looking at decision-making and power in their own families. The activity is inspired by Maori practices in New Zealand, where a radical approach to decision-making in the area of child welfare has put the wider family centre-stage. The approach is called whanau, from the Maori word for family.
