Rural Fiji [Paperback]

Book Description

Publication Date: December 12, 1998

This volume presents a collection of studies, covering a cross-section of recent research in a country that has been the focus of much recent political and social upheaval. Although there has been no attempt to impose a theoretical or thematic perspective, these research efforts do give some clues to the frictions and frustrations, as well as the limited successes, of Fijian rural development. The authors involved have been close observers of rural change and include student and staff geographers from the University of the South Pacific, consultants, and others who have been able to draw on long experience of work in Fiji. The book is an attempt to present a 'flavor' of some of the work that has marked a recent upsurge of interest in rural Fiji.

Of common concern has been the nature and rapidity of recent change in Fiji. Population growth and migration, varying opportunities for cash-cropping, and government rural development initiatives have all affected social and economic conditions in the Fijian countryside. Yet, these studies show that rural dwellers in Fiji have not been passive in these transformations. Their responses have not always pleased development planners nor followed the designs of politicians. Many have been able to mobilize traditional systems of production (using customary land tenure and labor relations, well-established crops, and age-old methods of cultivation) to take advantage of new commercial opportunities. The studies in this volume analyze some of the complexities of these responses.

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific (December 12, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9820200458
• ISBN-13: 978-9820200456
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,044,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)