European University Institute Library

Land, custom, and practice in the South Pacific, edited by R. Gerard Ward and Elizabeth Kingdon

eng

index present

non fiction

Land, custom, and practice in the South Pacific

electronic resource

dictionaries

715182145

edited by R. Gerard Ward and Elizabeth Kingdon

Cambridge Asia-Pacific studiesCambridge Social Sciences eBooks

Land tenure arrangements are intimately linked with the organization of society, the economy, political structures and geography. In the South Pacific Islands the majority of land is held by community groups under 'customary' or 'traditional' forms of tenure. This book argues that land formerly held in common is now often controlled and used exclusively by individuals or nuclear families - it is being privatized. Detailed case studies demonstrate these trends in Western Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Fiji. Parallels are noted from Asia, Europe and Africa, where comparable forces of commercialization, individualization and socio-political change have brought comparable results. The denial of these trends by policy makers in the region reflects an interest in maintaining the image of traditionalism and its associated status and power. The divergence between rhetoric and reality creates dilemmas for many Pacific Islanders and their leaders.--, Provided by publisher

1. Land Use and Tenure: Some Comparisons / R. Gerard Ward and Elizabeth Kingdon -- 2. Land Tenure in the Pacific Islands / R. Gerard Ward and Elizabeth Kingdon -- 3. Breathing Spaces: Customary Land Tenure in Vanuatu / Margaret Rodman -- 4. From Corporate to Individual Land Tenure in Western Samoa / J. Tim O'Meara -- 5. Right and Privilege in Tongan Land Tenure / Kerry James -- 6. Land, Law and Custom: Diverging Realities in Fiji / R. Gerard Ward -- 7. Beyond the Breathing Space / Anthony Hooper and R. Gerard Ward

Land, Custom & Practice in the South Pacific