8 Tribes – The Hidden Classes of New Zealand

Authors: Jill Caldwell and Christopher Brown

Publisher: Wicked Little Books, Wellington. 2007

Reviewed by David Collins

Two New Zealand public relations and marketing researchers, Jill Caldwell and Christopher Brown, have written a fascinating study on New Zealanders. They correctly contend that there is no longer a single stereotype, there is no longer a “typical New Zealander” ... our society is far too diverse to allow this oversimplification.

I purchased this little book – 152 pages – in order to stimulate my thinking about the distinct culture and ways of thinking of the people of my own country.

As a missionary, the need to understand the culture and mentality of the people to whom I was called was very important. Successful communication and “bridge building” in a culture that was foreign to me would be greatly aided by my understanding of, in my case, the Fijian people.

Once I got started in ‘8 Tribes’, it became clear to me that I could no longer simply assume to understand New Zealanders as some kind of single culture. I was introduced to at least eight distinct “people groups” ... and realised that each held a different set of values, perspectives and needs. And although the simple and powerful gospel of Christ has the power to save people of every imaginable type, the bridges we build in order to share the gospel are culture related ... a little PR and understanding of our marketplace is important to the task.

8 Tribes is an easy read, neatly formatted to allow comparison between New Zealand’s ‘people groups’. And to any Kiwi, it has a ring-of-truth about it: we know the ‘people’ that Caldwell and Brown write about, and it’s an interesting challenge to find oneself somewhere among the 8 Tribes. It also occurred to me that most churches will be predominately reaching just two or three tribes – ‘bringing forth after their own kind’.

An important note that the author’s share is that some people immediately feel like they belong to one tribe. Others recognise more than one tribe in themselves. The 8 Tribes aren’t exclusive sets, they’re groups with fluid boundaries. Many of us straddle more than one tribe.

The penultimate chapter is titled 8 Trends. Caldwell and Brown point out that the tribes system is changing all the time; attitudes evolve, relationships between different tribes alter. And so in this interesting chapter, they examine eight trends that are having a profound impact on New Zealand society right now.

Take my recommendation and read this interesting and important research ... I know of no other volume on the subject. Read it to better understand the people you are reaching for Christ in New Zealand: build better bridges to their hearts and minds, and win them, by all means, for Jesus Christ.

EIGHT TRIBES: The hidden classes of New Zealand

THE NORTH SHORE TRIBE: Aspiring

The ambitious, hard-working, heavily mortgaged inhabitants of the great suburban jungle for whom keeping up appearances is fundamentally important. They survive in the jungle by constantly moving ahead, up through the ranks of job, car, house, street and suburb.
FOUND IN: Suburbs with concentrations of malls, nice cars and plasma TVs - especially north, east and central Auckland, north and west Christchurch, Tauranga, Hamilton.

THE GREY LYNN TRIBE: Cognoscenti

The highly educated intelligentsia who value ideas above material things and intellectualise every element of their lives. Their most prized possession is a painting by the artist of the moment, they frequent film festivals, secretly wish they had more gay and Maori friends, feel guilty about discussing property values and deep down are uneasy about their passion for rugby.
FOUND IN: Bookshops, cafes and former working-class suburbs with concentrations of renovated villas - especially Grey Lynn, Ponsonby, Pt Chevalier, Mt Victoria, St Albans, Otago Peninsula.

THE REMUERA TRIBE: Entitled

The round-vowelled children of privilege for whom breeding is the greatest virtue, manners really do make a difference, money shows class if it's old but is crass if it's new, and what school you went to defines the rest of your life.
FOUND IN: Leafy suburbs with concentrations of mansions, English gardens and private schools - especially Remuera, Epsom, Karori, Wadestown, Fendalton, Merivale, Maori Hill, Havelock North.

THE BALCLUTHA TRIBE: Staunch

The tribe of the Kiwi heartland, the provincial conservatives, who see themselves as a source of stability and common sense - solid, reliable and down to earth, but also deceptively smart.
FOUND IN: Small towns, provincial cities and any other area with a concentration of sheep, cows, and utes.

THE RAGLAN TRIBE: Free-spirited

The independent spirits who value the ability to live a life according to their own priorities, not what the boss or society says is important. They can be maverick entrepreneurs, or hedonists, spiritual journeyers, fitness fanatics, adrenaline junkies and adventurers.
FOUND IN: Professions where freelancers predominate, trades where free agents are well paid. Living in city suburbs in the midst of renewal, coastal towns and suburbs, near ski fields and lakes, or in a remote Kiwi bach.

THE CUBA STREET TRIBE: Funky

The hipster tribe on the cutting edge of cool, where "new" is the greatest virtue, being labelled mainstream the greatest fear and self-expression the preoccupation. In the 1980s it was the vanguard of espresso, in the 1990s of body piercing and tattoos.
FOUND IN: Bohemian areas of our largest cities attending art schools and the coolest gigs.

THE OTARA TRIBE: Community

Urban, often immigrant, often Polynesian, community-minded people for whom family is paramount and church is likely to play a central social role. The sense of belonging is strong as is the pressure to "do the right thing" and uphold appearances. In our grandparents' generation, many working-class Catholics fitted this profile.
FOUND IN: Areas with concentrations of churches and state housing - especially south Auckland, Porirua, east Christchurch.

THE PAPATOETOE TRIBE: Unpretentious

Urban working people who revere physical prowess, don't trust anything intellectual, disdain "wankers" and are unwilling to think of themselves as better than their mates - the classic "state house and jug of beer" Kiwis.
FOUND IN: Suburbs and towns with concentrations of car yards, supermarkets and sports grounds - especially south and west Auckland, Hastings, Hutt Valley, south Christchurch, Tokoroa, Invercargill.