Across the Pacific in Auckland, New Zealand two rap groups, Homebrew and @Peace, are contributing to a theoretically rich and socially conscious Hip Hop scene. Their music critically questions commercialism and conformity in a culture shaped by a history of colonialism. This makes their message starkly opposed to the normative values of New Zealand. The musicians of Homebrew and @Peace, a mix of Polynesian and Pakeha (people of European descent), employ methods of decolonization theory through the use of storytelling and focus on indigenous values. In a country that has adopted the neoliberal beliefs that competition drives human relations, and redefines citizens as consumers, Homebrew and @Peace use their music to resist these messages by valuing the individual over the almighty dollar. Straddling between worlds, one of urbanization and the other of indigeneity, Homebrew and @Peace show how this rift is a result of neoliberalism.The perceived benefits of urbanization and capitalism conflict with indigenous values. Currently, Polynesian, and specifically Maori, have disproportionately higher rates of disadvantage in almost every life outcome compared to Pakeha. Intense competition and the commodification of education and land are cited by Homebrew and @Peace as causes for feelings of alienation. They powerfully connect the political to the personal, which can inspire youth to become their own cultural theorists.
","abstract_html":"<p>Across the Pacific in Auckland, New Zealand two rap groups, Homebrew and @Peace, are contributing to a theoretically rich and socially conscious Hip Hop scene. Their music critically questions commercialism and conformity in a culture shaped by a history of colonialism. This makes their message starkly opposed to the normative values of New Zealand. The musicians of Homebrew and @Peace, a mix of Polynesian and Pakeha (people of European descent), employ methods of decolonization theory through the use of storytelling and focus on indigenous values. In a country that has adopted the neoliberal beliefs that competition drives human relations, and redefines citizens as consumers, Homebrew and @Peace use their music to resist these messages by valuing the individual over the almighty dollar. Straddling between worlds, one of urbanization and the other of indigeneity, Homebrew and @Peace show how this rift is a result of neoliberalism.The perceived benefits of urbanization and capitalism conflict with indigenous values. Currently, Polynesian, and specifically Maori, have disproportionately higher rates of disadvantage in almost every life outcome compared to Pakeha. Intense competition and the commodification of education and land are cited by Homebrew and @Peace as causes for feelings of alienation. They powerfully connect the political to the personal, which can inspire youth to become their own cultural theorists.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Rogers, Mariel Lopez"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts in International and Multicultural Education (IME)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"International and Multicultural Education (IME)","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Rosa Jimenez"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-05-05T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-05-05T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:13Z","subjects":["Hip Hop","Decolonization","Counter-narrative","New Zealand","Neoliberalism","Indigenous Education","Indigenous Studies","Other Music","Polynesian Studies","Social and Cultural Anthropology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/250","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Rosa Jimenez"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Rogers, Mariel Lopez"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-12-07T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["International and Multicultural Education (IME)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts in International and Multicultural Education (IME)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Hip Hop","Decolonization","Counter-narrative","New Zealand","Neoliberalism","Indigenous Education","Indigenous Studies","Other Music","Polynesian Studies","Social and Cultural Anthropology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/250"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Across the Pacific in Auckland, New Zealand two rap groups, Homebrew and @Peace, are contributing to a theoretically rich and socially conscious Hip Hop scene. Their music critically questions commercialism and conformity in a culture shaped by a history of colonialism. This makes their message starkly opposed to the normative values of New Zealand. The musicians of Homebrew and @Peace, a mix of Polynesian and Pakeha (people of European descent), employ methods of decolonization theory through the use of storytelling and focus on indigenous values. In a country that has adopted the neoliberal beliefs that competition drives human relations, and redefines citizens as consumers, Homebrew and @Peace use their music to resist these messages by valuing the individual over the almighty dollar. Straddling between worlds, one of urbanization and the other of indigeneity, Homebrew and @Peace show how this rift is a result of neoliberalism.The perceived benefits of urbanization and capitalism conflict with indigenous values. Currently, Polynesian, and specifically Maori, have disproportionately higher rates of disadvantage in almost every life outcome compared to Pakeha. Intense competition and the commodification of education and land are cited by Homebrew and @Peace as causes for feelings of alienation. They powerfully connect the political to the personal, which can inspire youth to become their own cultural theorists.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Rapping Back: Counter-narratives from Auckland, New Zealand"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Rosa Jimenez"],"dc:creator":["Rogers, Mariel Lopez"],"dc:date.available":["2017-12-07T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Across the Pacific in Auckland, New Zealand two rap groups, Homebrew and @Peace, are contributing to a theoretically rich and socially conscious Hip Hop scene. Their music critically questions commercialism and conformity in a culture shaped by a history of colonialism. This makes their message starkly opposed to the normative values of New Zealand. The musicians of Homebrew and @Peace, a mix of Polynesian and Pakeha (people of European descent), employ methods of decolonization theory through the use of storytelling and focus on indigenous values. In a country that has adopted the neoliberal beliefs that competition drives human relations, and redefines citizens as consumers, Homebrew and @Peace use their music to resist these messages by valuing the individual over the almighty dollar. Straddling between worlds, one of urbanization and the other of indigeneity, Homebrew and @Peace show how this rift is a result of neoliberalism.The perceived benefits of urbanization and capitalism conflict with indigenous values. Currently, Polynesian, and specifically Maori, have disproportionately higher rates of disadvantage in almost every life outcome compared to Pakeha. Intense competition and the commodification of education and land are cited by Homebrew and @Peace as causes for feelings of alienation. They powerfully connect the political to the personal, which can inspire youth to become their own cultural theorists.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/250"],"dc:subject":["Hip Hop","Decolonization","Counter-narrative","New Zealand","Neoliberalism","Indigenous Education","Indigenous Studies","Other Music","Polynesian Studies","Social and Cultural Anthropology"],"dc:title":["Rapping Back: Counter-narratives from Auckland, New Zealand"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["International and Multicultural Education (IME)"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts in International and Multicultural Education (IME)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:13Z"}