This report presents the findings of a national survey of Māori on their attitudes towards good taste and decency in broadcasting.
Methodology
- Māori and Pacific peoples were interviewed on the attitudes towards language and the portrayal of sex and nudity
- Conducted between January and February 2001 with a margin of error of ±5.6%
- Questionnaire contained the same questions used in a national survey of the general population conducted in 1999
- Face-to-face interview in 310 Māori and 310 Pacific peoples’ homes
Key Results
- Māori attitudes towards good taste and decency in broadcasting follow those observed in the general population
- Ranking of 22 offensive words is similar to the ranking of the same words by 1,000 New Zealanders in the 1999 survey
- ‘Cunt’, ‘motherfucker’, ‘nigger’, and ‘fuck’ were judged unacceptable by a majority of Māori
- Māori women find the use of swear words and expletives more unacceptable than Māori men
- The time when a television programme containing sex and nudity was broadcast – found to be the overriding consideration for Māori
- Screening of sex and nudity before the 8:30pm watershed – judged unacceptable by Māori
- Portrayal of nudity in the medical context – overwhelmingly accepted
- A man and woman passionately kissing also acceptable
- Screening of homosexual sex was judged unacceptable by just under two-thirds of Māori participating in the research
- Māori men found to be more accepting of portrayal of sex and nudity, than Māori women
- Levels of unacceptability increased with the age of Maori respondents which was similar with the general population
- Younger age groups found to be more permissive than older age groups
- Gender and age breakdowns showed similar patterns to the 1999 survey of the general population