Carla Houkamau

Carla Anne Houkamau is a New Zealand social psychologist and a full professor at the University of Auckland, specialising in Māori identity and cultural relations.

Academic career
Houkamau is Māori, and is of Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu and Pākehā descent.

Houkamau completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree, followed by an Honours degree in Psychology, and a PhD in social psychology titled Identity and socio-historical context: transformations and change among Māori women, all at the University of Auckland. She also holds a Diploma in Journalism from Waiariki Institute of Technology. Houkamau completed postdoctoral research and then joined the faculty of the University of Auckland, before moving to a lectureship at the Eastern Institute of Technology in 2007. After two years she moved back to the University of Auckland, rising to full professor. Houkamau was Director of the Dame Mira Szászy Research Centre for Māori and Pacific Economic Development, and has held Associate Dean Māori and Academic Director positions within the Auckland business school, and as of 2024 is the Deputy Dean of the school.

Houkamau is interested in the history of relations between Māori and Pākeha, intergroup relations, how social relations affect inequality, and cultural understanding. Houkamau developed an internationally recognised model for ethnic identity research, the Multidimensional Model of Māori identity and Cultural Engagement. She leads a Marsden grant-funded project, Te Rangahau o Te Tuakiri Māori me Ngā Waiaro ā-Pūtea The Māori Identity and Financial Attitudes Study, which is a national longitudinal study of Māori attitudes towards identity and financial behaviour. In 2012 Houkamau was awarded the Business School Early Career Research Excellence Award, and as part of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study team, won the University of Auckland Group Excellence Award in 2017. Houkamau also won the Auckland University Business School Research Excellence Award in 2021.

Houkamau is an academic advisor for a Department of Corrections project on incorporating social science evidence into justice policy and process. She is a member of the Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Centre of Research Excellence.