Pacific Research and Policy Centre

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Browsing Pacific Research and Policy Centre by Author "Aporosa, S."

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    Yaqona (kava) and education in Fiji : investigating 'cultural complexities' from a post-development perspective : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2012) Aporosa, S.
    Embedded practices and systems associated with the consumption of yaqona (known Pasifika wide as kava) continue to express and demonstrate culture in contemporary Fiji. However, a number of untested reports suggest the over-consumption of yaqona manifests a physical hangover effect which inhibits productivity and development. This concern extends to the education arena where the Fiji Islands Government has embraced this development input to aid their national development agenda. This has created a unique challenge for the Fijian Ministry of Education (MoE) which both acknowledges the cultural importance of yaqona, but questions whether the over-consumption of this indigenous substance is impeding academic achievement through impacts to quality education delivery. This study investigates this unique traditional/contemporary tension. To explore these hangover assertions, teachers in this research were cognitively assessed as they entered the classroom to teach in the morning following yaqona consumption. Together with ethnographic reports, the findings suggest that the over-consumption of this indigenous substance does inhibit work performance and increases the likelihood of lateness, absenteeism and presenteeism. From a development perspective this is argued to negatively impact on national development goals. However, the achievement and delivery of education was conversely described by research participants as dependent on yaqona. This is because the indigenous substance is critical to the identity reinforcement which aids academic accomplishment, while also underpinning the State/Community partnership – a union that relies heavily on community labour and financial input for school survival. This study utilises Vanua Research – a post-development aligned framework – to investigate this unique traditional/contemporary tension. In contrast to the development approaches of modernisation, “alternative development” and neo-liberalism, post-development endorses locally conceived and driven development systems by recognising and legitimising traditional knowledge systems, local voices and culture. Moreover, post-development is not about coming up with answers or imposing a way ahead, an aspect deemed to be a key weakness of many of the conventional one-size-fits-all hegemonic development approaches. Instead, this study presents the findings to aid local decision-making processes under the MoE’s call for further research on the relationship between culture and education. Further, this investigation highlights the dangers to socio-cultural stability from cultural loss and displacement when complexities of this nature are considered purely from a Eurocentric development perspective.