Pacific Research and Policy Centre

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/4763

Browse

End date: 2009Has files: Yes

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 133
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Culture, gender and small business : Honiara, Solomon Islands : presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2001) Simiha, Bella
    The common assumption in regards to indigenous Solomon Islanders owning business is that most of these businesses will fail because of cultural constraints. These appear in the form of the wantok system and cultural obligations that place an extreme financial burden on small business owners (SBOs) and restrict the potential of potential small businesses. This study has been carried out in the formal business sector in Honiara to ascertain the effects of cultural obligations on small business (SB) and to determine the role of women in business. The research findings lead to the conclusion that with education/ experience cultural obligations can be managed within small businesses, and that women, despite the gender restrictions rooted in traditional culture, can manage small businesses successfully. However, it is evident that the wantok system and the commercialisation of some aspects of culture, places a financial burden on Solomon Islanders. In order to promote the development of indigenous small businesses, the government, pending adequate research, will need to ensure that suitable financial loan assistance schemes, and advisory offices are introduced to allow for easy access to start up business resources. Furthermore, as the research has shown that if women are to be successful in business these schemes must target all groups of women and not favour one group, for example rural women. It is also evident from the research that more professional women are entering into small businesses, and that they can manage cultural obligations and still assist relatives both in the urban and rural sectors.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Bisinis belong olgeta mere long Honiara, Solomon Islands = Informal activities of the women of Honiara, Solomon Islands : 31.798 research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2000) Fakaia, Matthew
    Solomon Islands' women in the Urban Informal Sector (UIS) seem to be invisible to the policy makers both from the perspective of their contribution and their needs. Although government programs aim at assisting small scale entrepreneurs, women as a group are not considered for any form of special assistance. The major reason for this is that most of the enterprises women engaged in, such as petty trading, food processing and livestock raising fall outside census of production survey. Often, these surveys are only conducted among enterprises employing ten or more workers. The small enterprises which are crucially important to the survival of women and their families are ignored. Women have limited access to critical resources like education, land, technology and credit. Hence they are often excluded from employment in the formal sector. Theoretically, the UIS provides employment for the groups excluded from employment in the formal sector. The notion of the informal sector captures certain peculiarities, such as informality of business organization, use of rudimentary technology, lack of separation of consumption and production, ease of entry and exit, reliance on family labour and apprentices and small requirement for capital. This study has been carried out on Solomon Islands women in UIS to view the nature and the extent of their activities today and to critically assess any measures in place to support those activities. The data from the fieldwork shows the importance of UIS activities to the food security of urban households, community development, the national economy and individual empowerment. The study reveals the link between UIS and the rural subsistence economy with reciprocal support of cash and food crops. It also reveals that there are women who could have worked in the formal sector actually chose to work in the UIS, for various reasons. The report concludes with a discussion of measures that could be taken to support UIS women in their activities.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Working with boys and men for a change : lessons from Fiji : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Developmental Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2005) Romanos, Annie
    Male involvement in sexual and reproductive health and anti-violence interventions are two of the more common entry points in working with men to achieve gender equality. The most promising interventions are those that challenge gender norms, questioning men's views of themselves and stimulating their interest about gender equality in different ways. Although most interventions inevitably alter gender norms in an effort to change the behaviour of project recipients, if not executed in a gender-sensitive fashion, these interventions may exacerbate rather than alleviate existing inequalities. One important issue therefore is when, and to what extent, programming involving men should compromise on feminist goals. The Men as Partners pilot programme and Women's Crisis Centre in Fiji worked with similar groups of men in two distinct ways. The former adopted a locally and culturally appropriate style of addressing men about gender issues and sexual and reproductive health, and the latter took a more radical, feminist, 'rights' stance in workshops with men regarding violence. Through consultation with project participants, family members, project staff, and affiliated NGOs, the research raises questions and discusses the implications for on-going work with men in the field of gender and development. It draws some conclusions about the extent to which each intervention contributed to the transformation of attitudes among men towards equality, and emphasises the need for new 'men in development' strategies to be unapologetically feminist in their focus.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A study of non-commercial dairy farming systems in the Western Division of Fiji : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Agricultural Science in Farm Management at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 1992) Richardson, Fiona J
    The purpose of this study was to describe the smallholder dairy system(s) in the Western Division of Viti Levu. the largest island of Fiji. The role and contribution of non-commercial dairy cows to the income, nutrition and cultural well-being of Indian families in these systems was assessed. In common with such dairy systems elsewhere in the developing world there is a dearth of available information on the non-commercial dairy sector of Fiji. A Farming Systems Research (FSR) approach provided the framework for the field survey which was carried out in the Western Division of Fiji over an eight week period from February to March 1991. Nineteen farmers selected at random were interviewed for this study. These farmers together owned a total of 36 non- commercial dairy cows. Information was obtained from these farmers on their farming resources and operations and in particular, on the roles, production and reproductive performance of their cows. Using data from these farms and other limited secondary data which was available, a whole farm budget for a typical farm in the survey area was prepared, identifying the revenue and costs of commercial and subsistence crop enterprises and the two-cow system. For the 'typical' farm, the total net revenue from the combined crop enterprises (commercial and subsistence) was F$5433/year. with sugar cane providing the main source of income from the farm. The imputed net value of production from the two-cow system was estimated to be about 38% of the net crop revenue. Per capita consumption for Indian farm families of fat and protein from liquid milk were estimated to be 11,6kg and 10.5kg per year, respectively. Survey results show that liquid milk is a significant source of protein to these families. Farmers reported that if a cow was not owned a reduction in the nutritional welfare, health and income of the family would most likely occur. Longitudinal field studies in these smallholder farming systems are recommended to allow the essential dynamics of the livestock enterprises and the relationships between these enterprises, the cropping systems and the farmers' families to be established.. It is concluded from the field studies that non-commercial dairy cows make a significant contribution to the nutrition and economic and cultural well being of the families which keep them. and that these cows are maintained and produce using resources of low opportunity cost to the farm family. Key words: smallholder dairy systems. Farming Systems Research. Fiji agriculture, tropical dairy production.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Selection for teaching in Tonga and Palmerston North, New Zealand : a paper presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1986) Tongatio, Lesieli Pelesikoti
    Teacher education in the Kingdom of Tonga has undergone many changes within the last two years. New directions in teacher development have included the introduction of a three-year diploma course for training primary and secondary teachers. This paper examines teacher selection processes used in Tonga in comparison with those used in Palmerston North. Section One introduces the paper by stating the concerns and the need for the study. A brief profile of Tonga Teachers' College and Palmerston North Teachers' College is presented. The research questions and the limitations of the study are stated. Section Two discusses the researcher's preparations for the research and describes her use of selected relevant literature on teacher selection and the techniques of questionnaire and interview. A brief note on the use of qualitative research methods is followed by a discussion of data gathering activities. In Section Three, the writer examines teacher selection processes used in Tonga by presenting responses to questionnaire and personal interviews as answers to the research questions. The same is done for Palmerston North Teachers' College in Section Four. Section Five presents the writer's discussion of each area investigated by means of the research questions. Following is a brief summary of the writer's conclusions to the study. The writer concluded that teacher selection processes in Tonga were not highly organised or structured, not extensive and not systematically conducted in comparison to selection processes used by Palmerston North Teachers' College. Tongan selection panelists were not well prepared and their functions not clearly identified or defined. Secondary students lacked adequate preparations before the selection interview and all sectors involved with teacher selection lacked co-ordination and clearly examined and stated criteria. Selection of teacher trainees in Tonga could benefit by co-operation between the various church education services and government to conduct a national selection programme whereby use of recruitment officers, vocational guidance counsellors and careers advisors would ensure that the best possible potential trainees are selected for teacher education; and, that this process should be highly organised, structured, extensive and systematically conducted. The section ends with a summary of the researcher's recommendations and final comments.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    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]
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Savings, investment and financial development in Fiji : an econometric analysis : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Applied Economics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2007) Edmonds, Fiona
    The vital role of savings, investment and financial sector development in the growth process has been at the heart of economic policy reforms in many developing countries. The key purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of savings (i.e. national and private), investment (i.e. private corporate and non-residential) and the relationship between finance and growth (i.e. causality, stock market development and McKinnon's complementarity hypothesis) for the case of Fiji. This study applies the Auto-regressive Distributed Lag procedure to cointegration and the modified WALD test for non-Granger causality to time series data for various models over the period 1961-2005. The study sets the economic growth literature in the historical perspectives for Fiji and undertakes a comprehensive empirical examination that will enhance the knowledge and future development of economic policies aimed at increasing economic growth. The importance of savings, investment, and the financial sector in contributing to economic growth in developing countries has been clearly highlighted in the literature. Fiji has been chosen as the case study in this analysis due to poor growth performance during the past 20 years. The military coups of 1987 led to political instability and policy failures that had a disastrous impact on the economy through low levels of economic activities. The economic uncertainty experienced by the nation led to various negative effects on capital accumulation, savings, investment and the financial sectors development. This not only diminished business activities, but also affected the household sector in terms of consumption, savings, investment, higher prices and social development. In the wake of the 1987 political and economic crisis, extensive macroeconomic, financial and trade sector reforms were undertaken which represented a revolutionary break from the past policies of import protection, high rates of inflation, agricultural dependence and financial repression. Given the devastating political, economic and social crises, and the poor performance of the economy, this study evaluates the key financial factors to enhance growth. In particular, savings, investment and financial sector development and the policy implications for long term economic growth are investigated. These considerations point to the need for undertaking in-depth investigations to bring together theoretical and empirical analysis in the context of Fiji's economic development. First, the savings-growth performance is examined using an empirical framework based on the lifecycle model. Second, the analysis examines investment and the role of capital formation in growth acceleration in the post independence period based on the theoretical considerations of the neo-classical investment theories. Third, financial sector development and economic growth relationships are examined. In particular, the direction of causality between the financial sector and economic growth, the impact of stock market and financial liberalisation, and the applicability of McKinnon's complementarity hypothesis are investigated for Fiji. The political and economic turmoil that Fiji has experienced suggest various actions required to improve the performance of the economy and also the key economic factors necessary to enhance growth. The findings initiate a number of policy implications that require attention in order to address Fiji's poor economic performance. This is particularly important to reduce the high incidence of poverty which still remains a challenge for policymakers.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    New Zealand aid and the development of class in Tonga : an analysis of the banana rehabilitation scheme : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Master of Arts, Department of Sociology, Massey University
    (Massey University, 1988) Needs, Andrew P
    This thesis examines the bilateral aid relationship between New Zealand and Tonga. Its central purpose is to examine the impact aid is having in transforming Tongan society. This involves a critique of both development theory and of New Zealand government aid principles. The understanding of development and the application of aid by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains greatly influenced by the modernisation school of thought, which essentially blames certain supposed attributes of Third World peoples for their lack of development. Dependency theorists challenged this view, claiming that Third World poverty was a direct result of First World exploitation through the unequal exchange of commodities. This has had some influence on the use of aid as a developmental tool, but has failed to supercede modernisation theory as the dominant ideology. The theory of articulation of modes of production transcends the problems of both modernisation and dependency schools. Its main thrust is that the capitalist (First World) mode of production does not immediately dominate the non-capitalist (Third World) mode but rather interacts with it. Such a conception takes cognisance of the influence of indigenous modes in creating new social formations. This is demonstrated through an analysis of the New Zealand financed Banana Rehabilitation Scheme of Tonga. In order to understand the effect of New Zealand funded aid projects in Tonga, the Banana Rehabilitation Scheme, the largest project funded at present, was used as a case study. The research method demanded a fieldwork component which entailed three months in Tonga in order to collect both historical and archival data only available there. The main fieldwork component was a series of interviews with a cross section of scheme members and other significant actors related to the scheme. This study of the Banana Rehabilitation Scheme shows that the redistributive aims Of New Zealand aid have been undermined by a greater concern with productivity. Emphasis upon the latter has meant that the project has been reoriented in favour of giving greater assistance to those who can produce bananas most easily, those who already had access to land, capital and labour. This category of growers is as much a product of the indigenous social structure of Tonga as of forces impinging from outside. Although through the banana scheme large amounts of money are being pumped into the Tongan economy, its redistributive effects are minimal. The structure of the scheme is such that many of the major benefits accrue to the already advantaged.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    From the outside looking in : identity in selected Fijian short stories written in English : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of a Master of Arts at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1999) Tuvuki, Sandra Dawn
    Construction of colonial identities in Fiji were built upon the premise of British superiority and difference from others, as they were in other parts of the colonised world. Colonial discourse regularly employed stereotypes to reduce other communities into simple and therefore controllable concepts. Fiji's post-colonial voices have had to write their ways out of these reduced roles and clear a space for representations of life in Fiji that differ from earlier elucidations. The body of writing which began to emerge in the 1960s is represented here by a selection of short stories by a number of authors writing from and about Fiji. The main focus here is on the ways identities which emerge from these stories pull the texts together into a definable body of writing, despite the diversity of writing positions, and despite some gender-based distinctions highlighted by Arlene Griffen and Shiasta Shameem. It is concluded that identities are more difficult to negotiate when outside opinions or forces are powerful. This observation is discussed in relation to the movement of characters from innocence to experience, the affect of progress on communities and individuals, the representation of women in the texts, and the position of individuals who travel to or from Fiji or who are descendants of migrants.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The functions of public examinations in a multi-cultural society : a theoretical exploration with special reference to Fiji : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1973) Singh, Gurmit
    Too often public examinations are left entirely in the hands of test constructors and statisticians. The wide ranging considerations related to examinations call for a change in this trend. Perhaps, those responsible for examining ought to regard themselves less as statisticians and test constructors and more as educationists. There is all the more reason for this in Fiji in light of the fact that it is a multi-cultural society. The thesis is essentially a theoretical exploration into the major functions of public examinations in Fiji. The whole exercise is based on the maxim that examinations form an integral part of the educative process and on the contention that the behaviour elicited before, during and after an examination from candidates is heavily influenced by their past experiences, nourished within the restraints and limits of their cultural milieu. By way of introduction, general problems in education in multi-cultural societies are traced and the language-problem dealt with in depth to highlight the complexities of such problems. After a brief look at the composition of the Fiji Society and its education system, the major public examinations are described. Then, the stated functions, purposes and effects of examinations are reviewed and some implications drawn. From the literature reviewed it is clear that examinations need to be validated against the declared and agreed upon educational aims. In the Fiji context, a search for some validating criteria is also discussed. In order to explore the interaction between the public examinations and aims of education attention is focussed upon the specific cultural values and educational aspirations of the three dominant cultural groups in Fiji, viz., Fijians, Indians and Europeans. Examination problems in Fiji, arising from an importation of foreign examinations and the multi-cultural set-up, become the theme for discussion in the final sections of the thesis. The relationship between the long-term effects of both, examinations and a number of socio-political ideologies – integration, assimilation, pluralism – is then outlined. Pluralism proves attractive as a base for decision-making regarding examinations in Fiji. It is likely that in order to solve tomorrow's problems here, allowances for existing differences in expressions and life-styles will help. It is suggested that examinations in Fiji can be assigned a re-vitalizing role in the educational system if they are, inter alia, multi-modal and accommodate 'originality' and diversity of values, expressions and the like. With almost a complete dearth of research information on various aspects of education in Fiji, this exploration ends with a note on the necessity for research in the area of examinations.