10 Cultural Perspectives

There were cultural differences between different ethnic groups, although for the most part, these were about the degree to which people spontaneously opposed the development of human embryo research prior to the focus groups taking place.

This effect was most evident in the Māori and Pacific Peoples groups, who were most strongly in opposition to human embryo research.

There was also a distinction between ethnic groups in terms of the kind of information prioritised when participants were projected into situations requiring them to decide whether or not to donate cells or embryos for research. When making this decision, Asians, Māori and Pacific Peoples displayed a slight tendency to prioritise the research process itself, raising questions about such things as the inevitability of embryo destruction and the preservation of the genetic bloodline.

While these issues were still of great importance to many Europeans, there was also a more evident consideration of the purposes and benefits of the research, for example for which particular diseases it might contribute to the development of cures or preventions.

Note however, that while this distinction was evident within the sample, it has not been validated in quantitative terms.

10.1 Māori

The Māori group was strongly opposed to the development of human embryo research, predominantly on the basis that it is a form of science that interferes with natural worldly and human processes.

‘That’s the world as it is today. Anything that’s broken or not perfect is thrown away. What people are trying to do is make this perfect world and everything else is going to get obliterated.’

Even so, the Māori group was not unanimous in this opinion, nor did dissent come from an equivalent representative to the general population groups (which were multi-ethnic), but from a Māori elder with a visible and active role in her own iwi who was in strong support of stem cell research. While this type of person might be expected to hold conservative views – especially regarding the sanctity of the body – her view reflected nothing short of a desire for immortality:

‘I don’t think it can be stopped. This is human nature, to explore, to try new things, to keep on going and my view is I hope I live long enough to old age to start all over again.’
Māori female, 60+

This contrasted sharply with the older Europeans, who at first agreed that research was acceptable if for a ‘valid’ medical cause, but even doubted this when one pointed out:

‘It’s all very well, but what about when some old boy’s lungs or his heart give up, and what then? He goes along, gets a new set of lungs, and off he goes! He’ll be back five years later for the next thing that packs up.’
European male, Older Persons’ Group

The Māori group was much more open to embryo research that took place on specific projects within families. Specifically, situations where a donor would supply cells for the creation of either a cure or a new set of cloned cells for the benefit of someone directly related to them.

This preference is rooted in a cultural tradition within Māori to preserve the body in its entirety, in death as well as life. Sharing cells within whanau was regarded as the only possible exception that might be acceptable to some people as a last medical resort.

The sanctity with which Māori regard the body also resulted in some concern for the preservation of the Māori genetic line. This resulted not only in heavy reluctance to donate cells beyond the immediate whanau, but also fear of exploitation of the Māori gene pool, and the loss of ownership by the Māori people. However, there were also comments about the inevitability of research taking place, with or without approval of Māoridom.

10.2 Pacific Peoples

The Pacific Peoples group had a similar overall position to the Māori group i.e. oppositional to human embryo research. While this appeared to be partly due to indigenous similarities between Polynesian and Māori cultures, the Pacific Peoples were also noticeably more influenced by their Christian faith.

I think in our culture children are so precious and yeah even though it’s not a grown foetus or baby it is still considered a life and because Pacific Islanders are so rooted in Christianity it is a big no, no. 
Pacific group

As a result, Pacific Peoples were much more guarded about accepting IVF as a valid alternative to natural conception. Pacific Peoples (and to a lesser extent Māori) were both much more open minded about adoption, particularly within families for this reason. While – on the face of it – this attitude has nothing to do with human embryo research, nevertheless, where IVF is much less tolerated, this in itself tends to cause greater doubts about the validity of human embryo research.

It (IVF) is foreign, it is foreign in our culture.  But she had been married for a long time trying to have a child and it was obvious that she had some deformity internally that was preventing her from having a baby so they came here and went through and it was very dramatic but yeah when the child was born there were all these assumptions from the community oh how do you know that that is your sperm and your egg, there was all this mistrust that they had to go through and eventually they came out of it but there is a not of “ifs”, “what abouts” in the community.  IVF is very foreign to Pacific Islanders and it will probably remain foreign for a long time because of our culture.  It is an option that a lot of childless parents will take secretly behind the scene. 
Pacific group

Pacific Peoples also held the purity of their own race in high regard, and may be more active than Palangi (Pakeha) or Māori in discouraging inter-racial marriage in their children. Again, this causes general anxiety around the idea that embryos generated directly from their own genetic source material could be used for research. This is simply because their cultural practices and beliefs cause them to be defensive and protective of all their body parts, including – and especially – those parts related to ancestry, lineage and reproduction.

No doubt, this argument could be translated into Pakeha culture and still retain much of its credibility. Interestingly, however, sanctity of the gene pool (as opposed to the individual body) was not mentioned in any of the European ethnically dominated groups.  It could well be that notions of sanctity of the gene pool may also account for the relatively high reluctance within both Pacific and Māori groups to distinguish between embryos and foetuses, merely on the basis of appearance.

It is worth noting that during the recruitment phase, TNS was strongly advised by numerous members of Pacific Peoples’ communities that mixed-gender groups would not be successful, because neither males nor females would be comfortable discussing embryos, eggs, sperm or anything else remotely connected with human reproduction in each others’ company. The women in the Pacific Peoples focus group agreed with this whole-heartedly, and it would be worth bearing in mind the cultural inappropriateness of discussing these matters in mixed gender settings in any future communications with Pacific Peoples.

According to the women, sex is not talked about openly in Polynesian cultures, and not at all between people of different sex and preferably, only minimally across generations. Within this cultural context, any remotely detailed discussion of human embryo research is a highly sexualised topic.

10.3 Asian Peoples

The Asian group was distinctly more open minded to the development of human embryo research than either the Pacific Peoples or the Māori group. They shared many of the same concerns as Europeans, namely that in order to be supportive of embryo research, they would need to know:

• What the research involved, and that it was for a genuine medical cause (whatever that might be).
• That the cell donors were fully informed.
• That the embryos were screened for defects and diseases.
• That a robust system was in place ensuring these conditions were being met by all involved parties.

As mentioned earlier, Asians had a distinct point of view on the subject of selling eggs for research, which was that it is unacceptable because it tends to create economies for body parts that are predicated on exploitation of the poor.

Within the oppositional arguments to the development of human embryo research, Asians showed a stronger concern than most other groups for the potential of negative outcomes for the intended beneficiaries of research. In this line, Thalidomide was given as one example of how ‘cures’ can be developed in total ignorance of their long term consequences.

The source of this concern is not clear, although it is possibly an association with poor medical practices in Third World countries, similar to the Asians’ experience of organ markets. Obviously, with such influential events as the National Women’s Hospital violation of informed consent in the 1980s, this is not a foreign issue for New Zealand.

10.4 Youth

Although youth is not a cultural distinction, it seems appropriate to include the distinct differences that emerged in this group’s perceptions of and reactions to the debate around human embryo research.

The group of young adults was perhaps the least engaged in the subject of human embryo research, for two apparent reasons:

• Although they can see that human embryo research is interesting for society as a whole, it seems too complex and abstract for young adults to relate to.
• As with Pacific Peoples, youth tended to contextualise the subject of human embryo research in terms of reproduction. Unlike the Pacific Peoples however, the participants in the young people’s group tended to regard reproduction as a thing of the future. Therefore, human embryo research tended to interfere with a preferred association with reproduction: sex.

Despite a degree of apathy around the subject, the young people were similar to their older peers in that this apathy was still partly related to lack of awareness. Thus, as they became more aware of the basic facts and issues surrounding human embryo research, for the most part their curiosity also increased noticeably.

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