Development Studies

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    Exploring the roles of women in indigenous businesses based on customary land : case studies from Papua New Guinea : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Steven, Hennah
    The purpose of this research is to explore how indigenous enterprises based on customary land in Papua New Guinea (PNG) work to empower women. This research is part of the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden project “The land has eyes and teeth”: customary landowners’ entanglements with economic systems in the Pacific that draws upon the notion of land as ‘assemblage’ (Li, 2014). The study brought in a gendered dimension to the project to understand how economic engagements on customary land involve and benefit women. Three examples of small-medium indigenous enterprises from PNG were selected as case studies. Utilising the Pacific Vanua and Tali magimagi influenced research framework, the involvement of women in these cases was examined to understand how they contributed to and benefited from small business engagements on customary land. From executing a mixture of tok stori/stori sessions (storytelling, conversations), semi-structured interviews and participatory observation, the study revealed the significance of indigenous social values and practices that were of critical support to business sustainability on customary land. Women played an important role as the ‘social glue’ within the businesses, maintaining the local value of wanbel to keep social cohesion and harmony within the businesses, communities and, with associated people. This was seen through their work on the maintenance of wellbeing for workers, relatives and communities; meeting socio-cultural obligations and responsibilities, and allowing spiritual values and beliefs to influence their actions and decisions. The desire to maintain these social values influenced the way they behaved. They also played direct business roles as co-managers, financial managers, workers and producers that helped to support business viability and retain customary land for the benefit of the family, clan and community. Further, women benefited from these businesses in various ways including gaining recognition and status in their households and communities. The study shows that customary land ownership is not a barrier to economic development, as widely held perceptions would suggest, rather it is an asset that can facilitate different forms of local development for people and communities in PNG and in the wider Pacific. There is a need to understand economic-centred intentions alongside the social-cultural interests of women to drive context-specific development. A culturally appropriate gender-sensitive framework is proposed in this thesis as an alternative development framework that can guide the work of government policymakers, development agencies and donors to formulate inclusive development programmes that also support women’s other interests in PNG and the Pacific.
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    'E da dravudravua e na dela ni noda vutuni-i-yau' : customary land and economic development : case studies from Fiji : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirement of the degree of Doctor in Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa
    (Massey University, 2020) Vunibola, Suliasi
    The purpose of this research is to determine how indigenous Fijian communities have been able to establish models of economic undertaking which allow successful business development while retaining control over their customary land and supporting community practices and values. External critics frequently emphasise that customary practices around land restrict economic development and undermine investments in the Pacific. There is also assertion that within the Pacific islands, culture and customary measures are mostly viewed as impediments of hopeful development. This research seeks to switch-over these claims by examining how customary land and measures facilitate successful business forms in Fiji. Along with the overarching qualitative methodology - a novel combination of the Vanua Research Framework, Tali Magimagi Research Framework, and the Bula Vakavanua Research Framework - a critical appreciative enquiry approach was used. This led to the development of the Uvi (yam - dioscorea alata) Framework which brings together the drauna (leaves) representing the capturing of knowledge, vavakada (stake) indicating the support mechanisms for indigenous entrepreneurship on customary land, uvi (yam tuber) signifying the indicators for sustainable development of indigenous business on customary land, and taking into consideration the external factors and community where the indigenous business is located. Case studies on three successful indigenous Fijian businesses based on customary land were conducted in two geographical locations in Fiji, and methods included talanoa, active participant observation, and semi-structured interviews. This study found that customary tenure and cultural values can support socially embedded economic development activities in the Pacific. It also reinstates the inherent value of customary land as an intergenerational resource aiding self-determined and inclusive development, including economic activities that provide holistic returns to communities as in socio-cultural contributions and community development initiatives. The businesses were able to be sustainable by devising mechanisms that balance daily business and community contributions. The study concludes that locally-driven development on customary land could be a model for alternative forms of economic development, thus, helping to reshape understanding of economies in Fiji and the wider Pacific.
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    The contribution of the informal sector to development : a study of street food vendors in Jakarta Indonesia : a thesis presented in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2004) Fixy, Fixy
    This thesis discusses how the development strategies and policies implemented by the Government have failed to distribute income and wealth and have exacerbated inequality instead. It shows viewpoints which argued that this kind of development has enriched only a few people while leaving others marginalised. It also reveals that the misconception of ideal development as similar to the state found in developed countries has undermined other forms of economic activities and development which are different from and do not conform to the recipe given by those model countries. It leads to the harsh treatment and affects many economic activities initiated by the marginalised people. This study tries to point out the importance of the informal sector to development, which forms a large portion of the workforce in many developing countries. It studied how these economic activities provided a means for survival for those people. It assesses the contribution of this sector to job creation, income generation activities, improved livelihoods and living standards. It studied the sustainability of this sector against the economic crisis which started in the middle of 1997. It focused on food businesses operated on the sidewalks in the area known as the Segi Tiga Emas (the Golden Triangle) in Jakarta. The results of this study revealed a number of interesting findings. This particular informal sector was found to make a huge contribution to the livelihoods of the people involved in it. It also contributed to the well-being of many people who used its services. Some of the income derived from these businesses was transferred to other provinces from where the vendors came from, meaning it helped in the regional distribution of wealth. As most of these businesses employed relatives or family members it also created jobs for the unemployed. These businesses were found not to be badly affected by the economic crisis and seeing how they had been running for a number of years, they were also susainable. Unfortunately, this good living enjoyed by the people involved in this sector was only for the self-employed or the owners of the businesses. The wage workers who worked at street food stalls did not receive a good income for their labour nor did they get any protection from the Indonesian Government. Regardless, the existence of the informal sector should not be curbed or eliminated. The Government should take decisive steps in promoting the development of this sector. This promotion should include steps to protect and should regard the development of individuals, small groups and marginalised people as an important part of development.
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    Self reliance and the YMCA's of Fiji and Western Samoa : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Masters of Philosophy degree in Development Studies
    (Massey University, 1995) Oliver, Dennis
    The role of Non-Government Organisations (NGO's) in the process of development in Third World countries has become a focus of attention over the last decade. Their work is seen as an important contribution in the development of the human resource. Most NGO's have become users of overseas aid. In recent years they have been challenged by the overseas funding agencies to become financially self-reliant. This study enquires about the nature of the meaning of the concept of self-reliance, whether it is a universally held value or whether it is a logical by-product of the world capitalist system. The YMCA's of Fiji and Western Samoa are used as case studies along with some other NGO's in Fiji and Western Samoa. The study concludes that the YMCA of Western Samoa is not likely to become more than fifty percent financially self-reliant because of a severely limited resource base, especially the absence of a sizable middle class. It is also immersed in a national climate of dependency from the family, community and government level. The YMCA of Fiji is making progress and will in all likelihood achieve operational financial self-reliance but in setting its goals on self-reliance it has been captured by the middle class and has reduced its programme with the poor and the rural people.
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    Marxist development theory and state formation : a theoretical and empirical assessment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1995) Wright, Huntley Lloyd Rayne
    First and foremost, it is argued that contrary to traditional interpretations of Marx's work, his sociology does not provide a recipe for advancing a putative set of universal categories. The categories of the forces and social relations of production and the ideal superstructures are transhistorical categories. Taken alone, these categories are independent of any particular society and as such, have almost no explanatory value. This means, that to equate the productive forces with 'things', the social relations with economic relations and the superstructure with a 'relatively autonomous' level, irrespective of their particular mode of production, is at the same time to fetishize them. In terms of state formation, Marxism's failure to grasp this point reflects an inability to develop a mode of abstraction which is able to avoid arriving at a generic, dualistic notion of the state 'in general'. The result is a dehistorizing one: since conventional historical materialism takes the appearance of an isolated 'economic' sphere and an isolated 'political' sphere as a characteristic common to all human productive forms, this specifically capitalist form of appearance is transposed from a determinant historical form to a property political forms 'possess' transhistorically. The task which Marx set himself was to explain what definite form of labour organizes surplus value, capital, private property and the state as its outcome? In terms of the state, Marx was never to answering this question in anything like the detail in which he traced the development of surplus value and capital. Nonetheless, what we have in Marx's writing is a unity between object and method. Thus, while it is true that comparatively little attention is paid to bourgeois society as an effective phenomenal form, the analytic foundations for such a critique is clearly articulated. Thus, while part one of the present thesis is concerned with the impasse in Marxist development theory, parts two and three focus on Marx's theories of circulation, the labour theory of value and the law of equivalence in exchange. It is argued that the foregoing moments are organically linked via the category of abstract labour. However, because Marxists' have failed to grasp the originality of this category, they have also failed to identify the object of Marx's work. Furthermore, it is only through the category of abstract labour that we are able to develop a theory of state formation which can encompass the differences presented by the modern state in relation to all antecedent forms, and which does not, therefore, arrive at a generic notion of the state 'in general' (Colletti, 1972:8). This thesis is thus a study of Marx's ideas. It draws on a variety of texts, ranging from such early works as 'The Holy Family' (1844) through to the 'Marginal Notes of Adolf Wagner' (1880). How I interpret and link these ideas is by no means original, but is greatly influenced by the writings of Derek Sayer, Lucio Colletti, Ben Fine and Henry Bernstein.
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    Social capital and community participation in development : the case of the Direct Community Financing Programme in post-conflict Sierra Leone : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2007) Jusu, Swalihu Kenneth-Moi
    Community participation seemingly appeals to a number of development agencies and institutions. Participation is seen as a means through which project outcomes can be improved. Nonetheless, "participation" as a concept is perceived, understood and defined differently. Therefore, different objectives are identified for undertaking participation. Some believe that pursuit of economic objectives has come to dominate development practice, and others believe that development practice has neglected its human or social aspects. Despite the rhetoric, past community development practice has either made little improvement in people's lives, or resulted in excluding some members of target communities. With the new institutional focus, and community empowerment as the objective of participation, the problem for development intervention is how to enhance community participation. Using a case study in post-conflict Sierra Leone, this research examines the Direct Community Financing programme, an externally funded development programme in ten communities in the Pujehun Port Loko districts. The study sought to investigate the extent to which social capital, as a community asset, facilitates community participation in development given the institutional environment and the objectives of the development intervention. The study finds that community participation is directly related to community level social capital, with high social capital communities recording high participation in the programme. The study also finds that community control, ownership and decisions over project activities, as well as the extent to which the projects meet community needs, also affect participation. Similarly, the institutional rules and the (designated) roles of stakeholders are equally important for enhancing participation. In contrast, a community's historical experience, discrimination and exclusion, selective participation and communal conflicts, among other factors, can negatively affect community participation.
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    The arts in development : an investigation of the contribution of contemporary dance to development in urban Fiji : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2012) Allardice, Megan
    This thesis explores the contribution of the arts to development, taking the cultural turn in development as its point of entry. It treads new ground in that the cultural turn, largely, does not examine the specific area of ‘the arts’ as deliberate and heightened expressions of culture (Pérez González, 2008:11). Complementing the cultural turn’s emphasis on agency and multiplicity, the thesis also argues for the location of the arts within the aspiration for choice and freedom (Kabeer, 1999: Sen, 1999), and it looks to alternative development for modes of ‘doing’ development. These are models driven by concerns for participation, therefore, recognising agency, diversity, freedom and voice. A model is developed delineating three possible levels of contribution of the arts to development and suggesting that the inherent value of the arts underlies and unlocks the economic and other instrumental values that they also possess (McCarthy et al, 2004:37-39). This research uses a qualitative research methodology. Fieldwork was carried out in Suva, Fiji, with a focus on Vou Dance Company, a part-time, semi-professional dance group. Qualitative methodology was appropriate to the research because it responds to the importance that is placed on the search for values and meanings within the understanding of development as freedom as well as in the cultural turn and alternative development. Three methods of data collection were used. These were observation, participant and key informant interviews, and a participatory dance workshop. The research findings established a multifaceted definition of development and supported all of the types of contribution of the arts suggested by the model developed in this thesis in attaining development. The members of Vou and other respondents emphasised the importance of choice and perceive themselves as responsible for making choices available to others. A balancing of the economic contribution of the arts against values regarded as ‘inherent’, particularly those relating to preservation of elements of (traditional) culture, alongside the negotiation of hybrid contemporary identities, was consistent across all respondents. An analysis of national, regional and global policy documents revealed alignment of policy at all levels to these twin emphases of economy, and heritage and identity.
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    An alternative model for development? : promise and politics in the projecthonduras network : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2012) McLennan, Sharon Joy
    Projecthonduras is an online network of mostly voluntary organisations working in development in Honduras. It aims to be practical, positive and apolitical, and to create an 'alternative model‘ for development based on mobilising people using information and communication technology (ICT). In the context of on-going debates regarding the problems with conventional development aid and the search for new approaches, the projecthonduras rhetoric appears to hold much promise. Indeed its early inception and more than a decade of operation make it stand out in a world of failed Internet start-ups, and its positive and constructive approach finds resonance with recent, more hopeful post-development literature. However after three years of research this thesis outlines a much more complex picture of projecthonduras. This is one with very quiet online forums but a growing political voice, particularly following the 2009 coup d‘état in Honduras. The thesis addresses this apparent paradox, unpacking the structure and discourse of projecthonduras, and identifying the underlying assumptions and understandings that underpin both the ‗alternative‘ development rhetoric and the political activity. Researched and written as an ethnography, this thesis positions projecthonduras within the development studies literature and within the particular context of contemporary Honduras. Using on and offline interviews and participant observation, and making extensive use of Internet-based data, this study shows that the projecthonduras development model is based on a paternalistic and modernising model of development, one that is connected to a liberal, capitalist politics. The emergence of political themes in this research is reflective of the messy realities of development intervention, and of geo-political, economic and cultural power and privilege within Honduras. However as indicated by the title of this thesis, the concept of politics stands alongside that of promise, the potential held by the idea of ICT and social networking. This intersection of promise and politics highlights the contours of the structural and discursive boundaries in which projecthonduras operates, and emphasises the complexity inherent in the search for development alternatives.
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    The role of government in setting an appropriate environment for public infrastructure development : a case study of hydropower development in Lao PDR : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2011) MacGeorge, Richard B.
    The role of government in setting an appropriate environment for public infrastructure development is explored to understand whether there are strong links between infrastructure, development and government. In examining this subject, a number of related issues are also considered, including why infrastructure is important to development, how managing resources well leads to better infrastructure outcomes and why is it essential that infrastructure is managed more effectively. Each of these leads to a better understanding of the roles government should play in infrastructure management. The methodology is designed to develop a definition for infrastructure and understand what the literature says about the links between government, development and infrastructure. The manner in which infrastructure has been provided historically is also considered and this research supports a system of infrastructure management. The system is then investigated through a hydropower project in Laos that is examined as a qualitative case study. The links between government, development and infrastructure are found to be strong in this thesis, but governments have had mixed involvement in infrastructure provision through the ages. At the end of the last century government is seen to have increasingly engaged with the private sector in a structured way. The core roles of government that cannot be left to others are found to include planning, procurement and regulation of infrastructure outcomes. These roles should be delivered within an overarching national infrastructure plan that is carried out by a centralised Infrastructure Management Unit. The case study project highlights some enhancements that can be made to the system proposed in the thesis and helps explain why there are sometimes exceptions to application of the whole system, although exceptions should be limited because caseby- case project development is suboptimal to initiatives that are formed as part of a national infrastructure planning process.
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    The effect of migration on development in Tuvalu : a case study of PAC migrants and their families : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2009) Simati, Sunema Pie
    International migration and development have been traditionally treated as separate policy portfolios; however, today the two are increasingly viewed as interlinked. While the development status of a country could determine migration flows, migration can, in turn, contribute positively to national development, including economic, social and cultural progress. Consequently, if migration is not well managed, it can pose development challenges to a country’s development and progress. Therefore, partnership through greater networking between countries of origin and destination is needed to fully utilise the development potential of migration. For Tuvalu, migration has remained a vital ingredient for economic development and more importantly, the welfare of its people. The implementation of New Zealand’s Pacific Access Category (PAC) scheme in 2002 offered for the first time a formal migration opportunity for permanent or long-term migration of Tuvaluans. The PAC scheme allows 75 Tuvaluans per year to apply for permanent residence to work and live in New Zealand, provided they meet the scheme’s conditions. The goal of this research is to investigate, more than five years after PAC’s implementation, the ways in which long-term migration of Tuvaluans, through the PAC scheme, has benefited Tuvalu. To give a broader perspective on the issues explored in this study, the views of Tuvaluan leaders, as significant players in traditional Tuvaluan society, are included, in addition to the perspective of migrants’ families in Tuvalu and the migrants themselves in New Zealand. Combining transnationalist and developmental approaches as a theoretical framework, this thesis explores how Tuvalu’s mobile and immobile populations, through articulation of transnationalism, enhance family welfare, and grassroots and national development. The eight weeks’ fieldwork in Tuvalu and Auckland demonstrated that the physical separation of Tuvaluans from one another through migration does not limit the richness of the interactions and connections between them. In fact, the existence of active networking between island community groups and other Tuvaluan associations in Auckland and in Tuvalu strengthens the Tuvaluan culture both abroad and at home, thus ensuring strong family and community coherence. Maintaining transnational networks and practices is identified as of great significance to grassroots and community-based development in Tuvalu. However, the benefits of long-term migration can only be sustained as long as island loyalty, or loto fenua, and family kinship stays intact across borders, and networking amongst families, communities and church remains active.