Pacific Research and Policy Centre

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End date: 2019Subject: search.filters.subject.Fiji

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    What's on the menu? : how the cuisine of large-scale, upmarket tourist resorts shapes agricultural development in Fiji : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Laeis, Gabriel C. M.
    Tourism is an economic backbone for many developing countries, especially small island development states (SIDS). Nevertheless, scholars have argued that tourism is a globalising and, potentially, colonising force that may not be a sustainable path for the economic and cultural development of such countries. Even though international tourist numbers are growing, economic leakages are high in developing countries. This is partly due to a significant share of food being imported for tourists, despite local food production. Research on the impediments of agriculture-tourism linkages in developing countries has so far taken mostly an economistic approach, finding a variety of supply, demand, marketing and policy related factors. To allow for a more holistic approach, this study takes a cultural perspective and investigates how the cuisine of large-scale, upmarket tourist resorts shapes agricultural development in SIDS, such as Fiji. Sahlins’ (1992) theory of cultural change is combined with the corporate community development framework (Banks, Scheyvens, McLennan, & Bebbington, 2016) to explore the agency of Fijians in negotiating the impact of Western-dominated tourism. This study employed ethnographic methods in a case study approach during a four-month field trip to Fiji. Participation and observation in a resort kitchen, field visits to other resorts, farms and food intermediaries, 38 interviews as well as document analysis enabled a rich representation of local viewpoints on food, culture and tourism. Large-scale resorts present Fijian cuisine either in the form of tokenistic ‘island night shows’, or in fusion concepts that cater to a few affluent guests. Fijian chefs rarely perceive their own cuisine as valuable, due to decades of Western-dominated tourism. The use of local produce is accordingly low and purposeful development of tourism-agriculture linkages is rare. Farmers, on the other hand, recognise resorts as a valuable market. Nevertheless, many Indo-Fijian farmers turn towards food exporters as a more reliable and predictable business partner. Indigenous food producers engage only to a degree that they deem valuable for their own socio-cultural needs and goals. Findings suggest that small-scale resorts, catering to niche markets, might be more conducive to local integration and sustainable tourism development. Policy-wise, developing the agricultural agenda of SIDS to match the requirements of Western diets might have environmentally and socially detrimental implications.
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    Neonatal nursing in Fiji : exploring workforce strategies to help Fiji achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3, Target 3.2 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in International Development at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Manuel, Ireen
    In Fiji 124 neonates lost their lives in 2017. While rates have improved in the Pacific, Fiji’s neonatal mortality rate has remained stagnant. The neonatal workforce struggles to meet the demands of this vulnerable population. Neonatal mortality is a global health challenge which is reflected in Sustainable Development Goal 3, target 3.2. This target aims to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births by 2030. My research set out to explore and provide some understanding of the development needs of neonatal care globally and review the workforce challenges for nurses in this speciality area in Fiji. Improving the continuum of care for neonates will be critical if Fiji is to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3, target 3.2. To answer these research questions, I adopted a qualitative methodology. I conducted four semi-structured interviews in Fiji and interpreted qualitative primary and secondary data. In doing so, I came across challenges that were present within programmes, service designs and national policies. Some of these challenges were easily fixed and did not need policy interventions, but rather individual willingness to change. Others required state interventions and long-term commitment and willingness. When applying the rights-based approach to health framework, my findings showed that the hardworking workforce in Fiji is still trying to change an organisational culture to a point where the workforce can feel fully inclusive and able to make evidence-based decisions as a team. The profound effects of not being able to do this is detrimental to the positive outcome for the neonates in their care. It was evident that health has many determinants and the problem relating to neonatal mortality is complex. My research showed that the neonatal nursing workforce were committed to reform and an effective health care service with adequate capacity and consumables is needed to run a well-functioning neonatal service. The key conclusions of my research are that there needs to be better collaboration between all sectors, evidence-based research practice and empowerment of the neonatal nursing workforce in Fiji. This is necessary if the government of Fiji is to achieve a neonatal workforce that can support it to achieve the critical Sustainable Development Goals target of reducing neonatal mortality.
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    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.
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    Reading between the lines : is news media in Fiji supporting or challenging gender stereotypes? : a frame analysis of local news media coverage of violence against women during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign of 2017
    (Massey University, 2018) Van Baaren, Ellie
    Violence against women is recognised as a global public health issue and an obstacle to development, as ending it is inextricably linked with achieving gender equality. The public relies on and believes in the capacity of news media to present them with a ‘true’ picture of reality and the news media are therefore treated as valuable allies in changing the norms, beliefs and attitudes that perpetuate violence against women. In the production and consumption of news, however, journalists employ frames to condense complex events into interesting and appealing news reports, in turn influencing how audiences view particular events, activities and issues, especially when it comes to attributing blame and responsibility. This study employs a frame analysis to identify whether, and to what extent, episodic or thematic framing is used in news articles on violence against women published in the Fiji Sun and Fiji Times during and around the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign of 2017. It showed that episodic framing was overwhelmingly used in the sample, thereby divorcing the violence from its social roots and encouraging audiences to blame the individuals involved, both for the violence itself and for remedying it. This directly contradicts the campaign’s central principles positioning violence against women as a social and development issue that requires every member of society to play a part in ending it. The results, therefore, suggest that changes are needed in how organisations engage with the news media to ensure that coverage of violence against women improves in both quantity and quality.
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    The tourist resort and the village : local perspectives of corporate community development in Fiji : 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, 2016) Hughes, Emma Louise
    A new global development model prioritises the role of the private sector, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals aiming to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability in partnership with business. This study examines the capability of tourism sector-led development initiatives, or Corporate Community Development (CCD), to bring about positive, locally meaningful change for two Indigenous communities in Fiji. A Development First framework for CCD developed in this thesis foregrounds community perspectives. Findings suggest the capacity of the private sector to contribute to community development in line with community priorities is constrained by an overriding Tourism First focus on prioritising the business, even where companies aspire to longer-term sustainable development outcomes. Whilst specific initiatives focusing on supporting development projects and running a social responsible business achieve positive outcomes for communities, much CCD is charity-focused and confined to a narrow spectrum of immediately visible needs largely defined by hotels and tourists. Approaching CCD from local perspectives also suggests ways to reconceptualise CCD. It focuses attention on the interconnected impact of all company activities (both core operations such as employment and voluntary activities such as donations), whilst an Indigenous perspective of CCD reframes its purpose as obligation. This can be understood in terms of community expectations around entitlements, reciprocity and fulfilling collective rights. A focus on Indigenous understandings of wellbeing and development shows that tourism is seen as an opportunity to contribute to vanua priorities for both current and future generations, but makes it clear that communities do not want more charity or aid, instead seeking to be an integral part of development conversations determining a fair share of their resources. The twin concepts of corporate social coherence and corporate social obligation acknowledge the significance of people and place underpinning tourism in Fiji and prompt a critical rethink of private sector-led development. Findings underline the risks of charging the private sector with responsibility for community development and demonstrate the current limitations to what the tourism industry can be expected to deliver. Community perspectives present a starting point from which to challenge current ways of thinking and allow conceptualisations of development to flourish.
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    An analysis of the environmental planning framework for coastal developments in Fiji's coral coast tourist region : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of a degree in Masters of Philosophy in Resource and Environmental Planning at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1995) Tuvuki, Suliasi Wavu
    This thesis examines Fiji's environmental planning framework with particular reference to tourism development along the coast. This focus is an acknowledgement of the coastal ecosystems upon which the tourism industry depends. However, despite this emphasis, the findings in this thesis could be relevant to all types of development in Fiji. Firstly, the shortcomings of the present planning framework are identified, with particular attention being paid to the sectoral nature of the existing institutional and legal arrangements. The important role of EIA is also discussed and is applied to the situation in Fiji's. Particular attention is placed upon the way the present system does not sufficiently recognise the important role the indigenous Fijian plays in the development planning process. This seems unjust since the indigenous rural dweller is the most affected by tourism developments along the coast and so the case study area, Korolevu, was chosen to provide a typical example of how such large scale, unsustainable, coastal developments have in the past, because of flaws in the present system, were often established with little appreciation for the traditions, protocols and more sustainable environmental management practices of the traditional local people. Now that the international community is beginning to recognise the importance of providing sustainable development which preserves the environment in the fullest sense, including the cultural environment into which development is placed, the Government of Fiji is starting to recognise the importance of applying such strategies as Caring for the Earth (IUCN/UNEP/WWF 1991) and Agenda 21 (Sitarz 1993) to the situation in Fiji. The findings of this thesis result in various reforms which have the achievement of sustainable development practices in the Fijian cultural context as the underlying focus. These reforms emphasise the need to recognise and implement indigenous rights into the environmental planning framework at policy, institutional and legal levels. The incorporation of the indigenous Fijian's interests in this framework is an essential component to providing sustainable practices in Fiji. This inclusion can only be achieved by providing meaningful public participation opportunities for such communities. Ultimately, the IUCN/UNEP/WWF (1991) and Sitarz (1993) documents and, in addition, New Zealand's Resource Management Act (1992) collectively provide a useful model out of which the Fiji Government could develop its own environmental management regime which promotes sustainable development through the identification, avoidance, mitigation and remedying of the many environmental problems encountered in Fiji's coastal environment.
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    Participation of women in development, with particular emphasis on people participation in the Fiji pine forestry sector : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Master of Philosophy ... Development Studies, Massey University
    (Massey University, 1993) Fellmann, Felix
    The study examines the degree and authenticity of women's and men's participation at four levels of the development arena: The development organisations of Development Assistance Countries (DAC), the New Zealand Development Cooperation Division of the Ministry of External Relations and Trade (MERT), the Fiji Pine Limited and the two participating case study villages of the Fiji Pine project; Vakabull and Tau. The thesis starts with the premise that the degree of participation depends on the question: who controls the central institutions of a given society? For the development organisations of the Development Assistance Countries, strongly positive, significant correlations were seen between the independent variable of the Proportion of Women Parliamentarians and the dependent variables of the UNDP Gender Index, Proportion of GNP spent on Development cooperation and the Proportion of Development Budget spent on Women in Development. These results present strong evidence that a high proportion of women power-holders are influential in improving development solidarity and gender equality at the policy level. Compared to most Development Assistance countries, nominal women's representation in the Ministry of External Relations and Trade of New Zealand's Development Cooperation Division was above average with an increasing number of women in mid-hierarchy positions. Overall, the study of the Development Cooperation Division found a low level of gender awareness and a high variability of conceptual understanding of participation among the survey participants. Within the organisation of Fiji Pine Limited significant inequality was found in regard to women's access to training. Furthermore, as was the case with the Development Cooperation Division, the degree of gender awareness was low and the conceptual understanding of participation highly variable among the survey participants. The village case study found that for women, patriarchy is most strongly pronounced during adolescent, early marriage and the reproduction phase, and that patriarchal control reduced with age. Women were found to participate to a low degree, and in a passive mode in project implementation. While women had access to most of the project's inputs and benefits, they practically never had control over them. Overall, the men and women of Vakabull and Tau villages were participating in a passive mode which was characterised by minimal information flow, little project related knowledge, little project co-responsibility and inadequate conflict solving structures. The study found that women could be more actively involved in the tree nurseries, tree planting and tree weeding in the area of independent contractors. The second avenue for active women's participation was professional women extension workers, forestry managers and project administrators. Overall, the thesis confirmed the view that the degree of participation in development is a function of the importance of the roles played by gender in their society's central institutions.
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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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    Paid domestic work and labour rights in Fiji : a case study : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2006) Duncan, Lynda
    This research explores the experiences of paid domestic workers and their expatriate employers in Fiji to enable further understanding of employment conditions in the informal work sector, a sector characterised by the absence of labour laws and employment regulation. The study investigates the perspectives of both domestic workers and employers on the employment relationship, conditions of work and the economic opportunity provided by this type of wage work. Responses obtained from individual interviews with domestic workers and expatriate employers were analysed to develop themes relating to the employment of domestic workers. These themes centre on the working terms and conditions of paid domestic workers, the nature of the employment relationship, and perceptions of employment law and labour rights for domestic workers. The results of the research show that employment laws that specify worker entitlements and employer obligations are not always necessary to ensure decent working conditions. This contrasts with conclusions reached in other studies on paid domestic work, which have found that the private, isolated nature of the employment arrangement and the absence of formal labour protection have contributed to a particularly exploitative employment environment. Paid domestic workers were provided with better working conditions than they had experienced in the formal sector and generally enjoyed a positive relationship with their employer. The experience of expatriate employers of employment conditions in their home countries played a significant role in this outcome. However, it is clear that wage workers in the informal sector are reliant on employer goodwill and integrity in determining working conditions. This finding points to a need for some form of regulation of working conditions in the informal sector and further research to determine how regulation might be achieved without disrupting the viability of economic opportunities within the sector.
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    'Tu ga na inima ka luvu na waqa' : (The bail to get water out of the boat is in the boat yet the boat sinks) : the cultural constructs of health and wellbeing amongst Marama iTaukei in a Fijian village in Lau and in a transnational Fijian community in Whanganui, Aotearoa : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Policy at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa
    (Massey University, 2015) Meo-Sewabu, Litea Diloki
    The study identified that there are a number of criteria that have to be met in order for Marama iTaukei or Indigenous Fijian woman to be perceived as healthy. Findings suggest that current health frameworks need to take into account the determinants of health that are informed by cultural constructs that emerged as key findings in this study including: Dau veiqaravi or being of service, Taucoko ni qaravi itavi or completion and completeness of tasks, Na veiwekani or maintaining harmony in relationships and Kena I rairai outward reflection or physical appearance and Bula vakayalo or Sprituality. Exploring the intricate and delicate weaving of Fijian epistemologies and Western philosophies as illustrated through the Tanoa Health Belief Framework emerging from the findings in this thesis, may ideally be the future to improving health and wellbeing for, Marama iTaukei. The Tanoa Health Belief Framework has been developed to assist health and community workers to assess the determinants of health and wellbeing amongst Fijian women. This was a qualitative study with a total of 23 participants conducted in two geographical locations, one in Fiji and one in Aotearoa. The study was not a comparative study however; the study in Fiji enabled an exploration of how perceptions and experiences of health and wellbeing have evolved as Fijian women have migrated to Aotearoa. Ethnography was used as the overarching methodology as well as the Vanua methodology. Methods used included talanoa, participant observation and photovoice. In terms of methodology, a Tali magimagi Framework pulled together the strands of what constitutes this thesis. This includes the process of ‘cultural discernment’ emerging from the ethics process encountered in this research. The concept of ‘culturally embedded agency’ is also presented in this thesis arguing that there needs to be an agency-oriented approach to women’s agenda. Culturally embedded agency calls for social policy that incorporates full participation of women in society, inclusive of indigeneity goals, cultural wellbeing and fairness. Implications of this study and recommendations are based on ensuring that health and wellbeing is achieved for the Marama iTaukei.