Pacific and Pasifika Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/4764

The theses listed in this collection were all completed at Massey University in a range of different departments and institutes. They have been included in this collection if the topic is strongly related to Pasifika/the Pacific.

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Tongan indigenous approaches in the prevention and restoration of family violence : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2023) Havea (née Taufa), Sesimani
Substantive literature exists on intimate partner violence and the efficacy of various response programmes. There is only limited knowledge of Pacific-indigenous understandings of and responses to violence within the kainga (families). This thesis explores aspects of the inaugural application of the Tongan conceptual framework of Fofola e fala ka e talanoa e kainga (laying out the mat so families can dialogue) as part of the faith-based Kainga Tu’umalie (prosperous families) family violence intervention and prevention programme in Aotearoa New Zealand. The programme is centred around weekend retreats involving Tongan households experiencing family violence. I was culturally immersed in observing, actively engaging in, and evaluating this programme during the retreats that involved 49 Tongan church kainga (families). Additionally, formal talanoa (a Pacific-indigenous way of engaging families in research) were conducted post retreat with seven faith-based community leaders to draw out their depth of cultural knowledge and how it was applied to the development and conduct of the programme. As well as drawing on the evaluative materials, talanoa were conducted with three participating families to further consider their experiences of the programme. Overall, this study found that Tongan indigenous cultural ways infused with faith-based values can be effective, transformational, and restorative for individuals and families experiencing violence. Core findings are encapsulated by three intersecting Tongan-Indigenous cultural concepts of: Ko e makatu’unga mo’ui mo e malohi (a powerful and living platform); Koe kolo malu mo e hufanga (a place of safety & refuge), and Fa’utaha (unity/harmony/peace). These concepts not only represent the interweaving of Christian faith and Tongan indigenous knowledge as symbolised by the Fofola e fala (laying out the mat) framework, but also inform our shared understanding of the intent and impacts of the Kainga Tu’umalie programme. These concepts also enlighten my analysis of the positive impacts of the programme on participating families’ and their commitments to engaging in efforts to transform their everyday interactions to create more harmonious relationships within which they can thrive together. Participant accounts foreground the importance and potential of working with key faith-based and cultural values to address patterns of violence collectively within Tongan kainga (families), and with support from wider community members. This research also speaks to the significance of leveraging collaborative partnerships between community-based agencies and faith-based communities in addressing social issues.
Māopoopo : a socio-cultural and collective understanding to improve wellbeing amongst Pacific people in Aotearoa/New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2021) Tuisano, Hana Salome
The Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ) healthcare system, has, like many other colonising ‘Western’ societies, placed a strong emphasis on biomedical models and the physical aspects of ‘disease’. Yet, it is the more encompassing and holistic worldviews of wellbeing that historically and currently resonate most strongly with Indigenous peoples. As a South Pacific country, there are many Pacific peoples who now live in Aotearoa/NZ with multiple generations having migrated from their island homelands over a period of some 80 years. However, there are significant health inequities among Pacific peoples compared with other ethnic groups in Aotearoa that have been ongoing for decades – notably those conditions related to non-communicable disease. This thesis explores the socio-cultural and historical perspectives of Pacific peoples in order to expand understanding about how they view health and wellbeing, an area about which relatively little is known. These understandings have the potential to lead to improved service delivery models and contribute to better health outcomes for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa/NZ. The overall objective of the study is to identify and articulate the values and principles that promote and enable Pacific peoples’ wellbeing and health in Aotearoa/NZ. The aims of the study are to: • draw on Tokelau knowledge of the cultural, historical, and social environment to better understand the influences on Pacific health and wellbeing • examine strategies of health empowerment and wellbeing among Pacific youth, and • examine service delivery models that can lead to improved Pacific health outcomes. The Tokelau worldview of māopoopo was used as an overall principle to inform all phases of this study. Conceptually, māopoopo serves as a cultural connector with people, a motivator of action, and informs principles that guide behaviour in practice. Māopoopo as a practice in action is to restore peace and wholeness and to inform future thinking (lumanaki), which includes an inseparable relationship with te fenua (land) e laga kita ko te fenua (to be determined to look after the land). Māopoopo as a metaphysical state is described in relation to levels of the individual (te tino), the family (Kāiga), the village (te Nuku). Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were carried out with a total of 37 participants including Tokelau elders, Tokelau community leaders, Tokelau adults, Pacific youth, and Pacific health and policy workers between July 2016 and January 2017. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and the emergent themes applied in relation to māopoopo. There were seven key themes identified from this research. The first theme, kāiga (family), was interrelated with the values of loto alofa (kindness), fai kāiga (family orientated), fakaaloalo (respect), loto maualalo (humility), and loto fehoahoani (helping others). The second theme, duty of care (tiute tautua), related to traditional knowledge and the intergenerational transfer of that knowledge, particularly in relation to culture, land, and language. Maintaining family relationships (loto fai kāiga) was the third identified theme and fundamentally underpins and is interrelated with all the first five themes identified. The fourth theme, interconnectedness (fehokotakiga), highlights the breadth of relationships between people and understandings of interdependence as opposed to independence. The fifth theme, spirituality (olaga faka-te-agaga), recognizes the centrality of the church in Pacific communities. Health advocacy was the sixth key theme with the final key theme being the impact of inequities on Pacific wellbeing. This thesis identifies Māopoopo as being an inclusive research approach that can have benefits for Pacific peoples while also having the potential to be developed within health policies to facilitate focus on collective action through effective cross-government and intersectoral approaches. In this way, it could be utilized to ensure effective approaches to collaboration between the health care system and the social, housing, employment, and education sectors. This work highlights the value and utility of applying Pacific understandings of wellbeing to support and empower communities through their active inclusion from the design through to the implementation of services. There is a great need for increased reciprocity in the relationships between government agencies and Pacific communities. There was recognition of the need for the application of cultural practices and concepts into service delivery for Pacific peoples, such as provision of on-site bilingual health workers, and it is therefore imperative that core health delivery services are brought closer into alignment with the realities of Pacific communities, for example, through active engagement with churches. There are significant gaps in health services for Pacific youth. This population group are an energetic group and, most importantly, the fastest growing population in Aotearoa. This current generation plays a significant role in terms of health advocacy, thus, to ensure relevant and effective impact within communities, they must be central players and key informers in the development of any interventions/strategies focussed on Pacific health and wellbeing. Further studies may well be useful to scope or investigate the healthcare services available for Pacific youth. Associated with the position and role of youth within Pacific communities, is the largely untapped potential to utilise the unique skills and knowledge available through intergenerational approaches where the grandparents are the educators in terms of the passing on of cultural knowledge and values. Health services can be made aware of this important pathway by which knowledge is transferred and of the critical role grandchildren could have to change their grandparents’ attitudes towards health.
A va'ine approach to creative writing : the tīvaevae framework and the calabash breaker : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Creative Writing at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2019) Kokaua-Balfour, Stacey
This thesis explores an approach to creative writing embedded with an indigenous cultural framework from the Cook Islands. The tīvaevae framework, based around the process of constructing Cook Islands tīvaevae quilts, shapes both the critical and creative components of the thesis. The critical component explains how the tīvaevae framework is utilised and includes a discussion of an archetype called the calabash breaker, named after the poem of the same name by Selina Tusitala Marsh. The calabash breaker appears in different guises in both traditional and contemporary Moana narratives and can be recognised by her strong links to family, community and place, combined with tendency to rebel against the social conventions of her community. Typically, her insubordinate nature drives the narrative towards her ultimate act of disruption while also providing a method of social critique. Characters who share the traits of the calabash breaker are explored through a close reading of Witi Ihimaera’s novel Whale Rider (1987) and Sia Figiel’s novel The Girl in the Moon Circle (1996). In the creative component, a middle grade novel titled The Mōmoke’s Daughter, a Rarotongan girl named Kimiora from Porirua discovers she is the daughter of a mōmoke, a figure from Rarotongan cultural narratives. Kimiora and her friend return to the world of the mōmoke in the depths of te Moananui a Kiva, the Pacific Ocean. The book has a strong environmental concerns and explores what it means to be Indigenous to the Pacific while also part of a global community that is responsible for so much of the environmental destruction of ocean habitats. The novel uses the calabash breaker, expressed through the character of Kimiora, to explore Cook Islands ideas about identity, family, belonging, place and the role of mana tiaki (kaitiaki) of ocean environments.
A study of a development scheme in a Polynesian community : the citrus replanting scheme on Atiu, Cook Islands : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Geography at Massey University
(Massey University, 1970) Menzies, Brian John
Economic development is usually considered to be increasing levels of output per capita and in the past programmes aimed at improving economic conditions in undeveloped and underdeveloped nations have been formulated on this basic premise. However, recent experience has shown this to be a somewhat narrow definition, and economic development is increasingly being viewed as being but part of a broad process of social development involving basic changes in the underlying value systems of communities. Rising levels of output and income per capita show increases in productivity and wealth, but in many instances a prerequisite for attaining this or an outcome of it is change in social values. Therefore it is essential development be seen in its broadest context, as merely one element in the processes of social change and social evolution of man. Economic change cannot be divorced from other spheres of life as any alteration in this has ramifications elsewhere in the social system. Life in any culture is multidimensional in nature. The ability to perceive this is essential for development programmes in order that any social discordance and possible cultural lag associated with development be minimised. [From Preface]
Establishing Zion in Sauniatu Village : a historical analysis of a Latter-day Saints gathering in Samoa : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in History at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2003) Tutagalevao, Eipo Junior
A feature of Latter-day Saints consolidation methods in the Pacific has been the establishment of gathering settlements for its members designed as a religious sanctuary for the persecuted and untrained. This approach varied throughout the Pacific depending on the steadiness of the missionary programme and success of retaining its members. Apart from Hawaii, Samoa was one of these unique places in which gathering settlements were established for the Latter-day Saints. The focus of this thesis concerns the in-depth examination of one of these latter-day Saints gathering havens in Samoa, Sauniatu village. The rich unpublished primary sources of this Branch make this a valuable exercise. Within these materials contained valuable insights into the nature of Latter-day Saints community organisation adapted in Samoa as well as understanding the cultural interactions between the Samoan saints and the European missionaries. Because Latter-day Saint origin was in America, this study indeed begins by examining the social and doctrinal bases of the church and in particular this notion of gathering. Chapter One, therefore, shows this relationship of the gathering in America and its modification in the Pacific context. The Latter-day Saints arrival in Samoa and its difficulties is analysed in Chapter Two. The push to establishing gathering settlements in Samoa is discussed in Chapter Three. In Chapter Four, an outline of the Sauniatu administrative system and local Saints' attitudes towards it are examined. Chapter Five presents an in-depth analysis of the nature of the village in its internal and external interactions. In Chapter Six, it explores the village as a functional mechanism for institutional operations. Chapter Seven will attempt to inquire the village's effectiveness and show its effects on the members, and Latter-day Saints development in Samoa. A conclusion assesses the overall success of Sauniatu village and suggests some of the reasons for its succcsscs and failures.
Development possibilities and customary land tenure in the Pacific : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies, Massey University
(Massey University, 2007) Rockell, Dennis Graham
In parts of Africa and the Pacific, the majority of land remains in customary tenure, perhaps in modified form. This thesis explores the question of whether it is possible to retain customary land tenure in a development context. Major development agencies such as the World Bank have, at times, placed pressure on developing countries to convert customary land into forms of tenure more compatible with boosting agricultural production. The Vanuatu constitution specified upon the nation's independence in 1980 that all land was to be returned to the custom owners. This thesis investigates how Vanuatu has grappled with the apparently conflicting objectives of customary tenure and economic development. An attempt was made to give the issue maximum possible focus by choosing the West Coast of Tanna Island as the location of study. Here, urbanisation and infrastructural development is attempted in surroundings where the majority of land has never been removed from customary tenure. The very small areas alienated during the colonial period have become the principal localities for such development. Must customary tenure or modernisation triumph, one over the other, or is it possible to achieve some of the benefits of modernisation without betraying the intent of the Vanuatu constitution? The thesis comes to no simple conclusion, but examines closely how this contradiction is unfolding and suggests that there are grounds for optimism, while noting the unrelenting nature of the forces for change.
Is wantokism a form of social capital? : comparative study of two communities in Oro Province, PNG : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
(Massey University, 2007) Manuda, Tony
Social capital is an important prerequisite for development however the form it assumes is one which has to be understood well by development practitioners. A lot of interest in social capital has been generated recently particularly in the Pacific as social relations in between people and various societal institutions in these islands are in many ways influenced by ethno linguistic affiliations. Only when these relationships between development agents and beneficiaries are understood in their local context can one truly appreciate it as a form of social capital. Hence, the term 'wantokism' which relates to social relations between people sharing similar ethno linguistic ties becomes an interesting topic of discussion in especially in the heterogeneous Melanesian countries of the Pacific. This subject is discussed in this thesis through comparing social relations between actors in two separate communities in Papua New Guinea. The Buna community school project and Kokoda hospital project in the Oro Province of Papua New Guinea are examples of projects that involved a wide variety of people from all sectors of the community. The Kokoda project funded jointly by the Papua New Guinea and Australian government under the Australian War Graves office was successfully completed and is fully operational while the Buna project funded by the Japanese government under its Japanese International Cooperation Agency program was not completed. In a society where trust and cooperation among wantoks is expected to a higher degree this research explores this issue in both this projects and whether or not the lack of it or abundance in one may have contributed to its failure or success. Through consultation with project board members, community members, provincial and district government personnel at both these locations this research raises the question of whether there is trust and cooperation between project boards and the wider community prior to and during the project work. More importantly it raises the question of whether there is trust and cooperation on the basis of wantokism. This thesis shows that the strong bonding social capital inherent in wantokism is clearly exemplified in both communities. However, there was minimal trust among board members and the local community, and a lack of bridging social capital in particularly Buna which affected its ability to access resources from outside sources. In contrast, there was a higher level of bridging social capital, and better trust and cooperation between board members and the local community at Kokoda. Drawing together from firstly, a theoretical analysis of social capital, ethnicity and wantokism and secondly, from qualitative and quantitative research in these two communities, it reaches conclusions about the extent to which wantokism could be a form of social capital.
Langa fonua : in search of success : how a Tongan Kainga strived to be socially and economically successful in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Public Policy at Massey University
(Massey University, 2005) Tuʼitahi, Sione
In search of social and economic success, Tongans started to migrate to New Zealand more than 40 years ago. Government studies and other research show that Tongans and other Pacific ethnic minorities are on the lowest rung of the socio-economic ladder (Statistics New Zealand, 2002a; Pacific Directions Report, 1999). In the midst of these negative statistics, there are pockets of success, but no detailed research has been conducted in this area (Pacific Directions Report, 1999). This thesis explores the diverse perspectives on and attitudes to, social and economic success in four generations of a migrant Tongan kainga (extended family). It examines the insights and understanding of this particular kainga of the concept of success, and analyses the values and motives that drive them to achieve it. It investigates the strategies they employ to achieve goals, the challenges they face, and why they are successful. An exploratory study, this thesis argues that more research should be conducted on the socio-economic success of Tongans. Findings from such research can inform policies and strategies for socio-economic development for Tongan families and community groups in Aotearoa New Zealand. This research will contribute to the construction of a larger and more representative study of successful Tongan kainga that can inform the development of social and economic policies for Tongans in New Zealand.
E mamae le tavaʻe i lona fulu : a study of the impact of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa on Vaigaga's social structure : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work in the School of Social Policy and Social Work at Massey University
(Massey University, 1999) Samuelu, Tuli, Fepuleai
This thesis is a study of the impact of the Congregational Christian Church on the social structure of Vaigaga. It includes the stories of seven Vaigaga residents who occupy different positions in Vaigaga's social and political structure. They represent different generations so that their information describes different intergenerational experiences which reflect on historical and contemporary Vaigaga. The focus on the impact of the church is in part a response to the current cultural situation Vaigaga is experiencing. It is argued in this thesis that the dominant power of the church contributes to the erosion of traditional Samoan social structures and values in Vaigaga. This study brings out the main issues that have surfaced as a result of this relationship by providing relevant research material for consideration. The participants' stories are presented as oral transmissions in their own words but in English translations. They are a contribution to the body of literature on the continuing debate between the church and the culture in Samoa, a body of literature which, although currently disappointingly small, is quite significant. A primary feature of the study is that Samoan people are central and essential in defining their own research problems, becoming research participants, and being in control in what is being researched. Having a Samoan as the research assistant further validates this. The research is based upon Samoan cultural principles and protocols as outlined in the Methodology chapter of this thesis. This study seeks to highlight the issues that will contribute to the restoring of a Samoan cultural environment in Vaigaga to promote the celebration of Samoan cultural values that define the uniqueness of being a Samoan.
Fa'a Samoa : an aid to livelihood recovery following the Samoan tsunami? : a case study examining two Samoan villages : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2013) Murphy, Sandra Joy
Natural disasters are destructive, traumatic and expensive. Costs associated with natural disasters are increasing, while simultaneously, there is a call to minimise or optimise development spending. With this in mind, this study examined the ways in which the cultural framework of Samoa, fa’a Samoa, influenced Samoan livelihood recovery following the 2009 tsunami. Fa’a Samoa is widely considered to consist of three major components, matai (chief), church, and aiga (family), supported by a variety of other factors including land, ceremonies, respect, service, love, hospitality and compassion. This research was undertaken through qualitative research, using critical case study analysis. Semi-structured interviews within an unaffected donor village, an affected village and with key informants provided primary data. The data was evaluated against the Samoan cultural framework, fa’a Samoa, using key themes such as Christianity, love, family, customary land, reciprocity and village governance to ascertain trends or attribute meaning. Research findings show that central to the recovery of Samoan communities following the tsunami, and their development in general, is fa’a Samoa. By drawing on fa’a Samoa, Samoan communities were able to recover their livelihood with the provision of less official assistance than would have otherwise been required. As a result, the principal conclusion of this thesis is that development should employ an approach in which the acknowledgement of cultural frameworks moves from desirable, to an essential requirement of policy and practice. Additionally, to aid livelihood recovery, non-affected communities should be called upon to provide assistance during the response and recovery phases and procedures should be put in place to enable families to connect with and help their affected kin.

Pacific and Pasifika Theses

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