How Can a "Southern Theory" Perspective Contribute to New Zealand Counselling?

Abstract

Raewyn Connell's new text, Southern Theory, is described here as a background perspective for counselling teaching and practice. The first half of the article explores the idea of southern theory and New Zealand culture, seeing parallels to it in the relation between Māori and non-Māori New Zealanders. Several points are then raised about perspective in general, suggesting that a southern perspective helps inspect truth claims of counselling concepts and practices. The second half of the discussion is framed around what Connell sees as four key assumptions that northern theorymakes about the world which adversely affect southern societies like New Zealand. The southern challenge to these assumptions is linked to counselling in this country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)