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Society & Culture > Fiji > Flashcards

Fiji Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Authority

Continuities

A
  • Men largely hold positions of authority and are entrusted with decision-making duties, on all scales (from household heads to community leaders to politicians).
  • Most authority also given to native Fijian people, and councils of native Fijian people govern many issues relating to these people.
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2
Q

Authority

Changes

A
  • Fiji has gained independence from Britain, although it is still impacted by the aftermath of colonisation.
  • Coups and general political unrest have led of frequent changes in governance – (1987, 2000, 2006)
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3
Q

Authority

Future Directions

A
  • Political situation in Fiji seems to be somewhat settling down
  • Indo-Fijians are gaining respect
  • Womens’ rights groups are pushing for change.
  • Some level of unrest is likely to persist.
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4
Q

Beliefs and Values

Continuities

A
  • Traditional Fijian culture still strong (some communities still living traditionally), many elements of culture strongly held today.
  • Indo-Fijians often have beliefs influenced by Indian culture.
  • Many traditional values have been carried over into more modernised contexts.
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5
Q

Beliefs and Values

Changes

A
  • Increasing Westernisation, urbanisation and economic changes making traditional communal life impossible for some.
  • Commercialisation of culture (e.g. Kava ceremonies).
  • Christianity has become very common, and had a lot of impacts on values.
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6
Q

Beliefs and Values

Future Directions

A
  • Further influence of western culture,
  • Urbanisation likely leading to fewer people living traditionally.
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7
Q

Conflict

Continuities

A
  • Tensions between native Fijians and Indo-Fijians are still significant, political unrest has been common and often violent.
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8
Q

Cooperation

Continuities

A
  • Fijian communities are structured very collectively, and a high value is placed on this structure. Children are raised communally, people do not need currency to get food or care, etc.
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9
Q

Conflict and Cooperation

Changes

A
  • In recent years, peaceful elections have been held.
  • The government has been frequently restructured due to coups and changes in policy.
  • The government has undergone significant restructuring since Fiji gained independence.
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10
Q

Conflict and Cooperation

Future Directions

A
  • Many sources of conflict are unlikely to just go away – debate and argument, at least, are unlikely to fade.
  • If the government remains stable, it is likely that things will become less violent over time.
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11
Q

Culture

Continuities

A
  • Fiji has always been somewhere in the middle of a few different cultures, influenced by the surrounding nations.
  • Many elements of traditional Fijian culture are still strong today. Tribe leaders still care for smaller communities, children are raised more communally, and here is no currency used in these places.
  • Ritual traditions, storytelling, and community events (e.g. Lovo) remain common
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12
Q

Culture

Changes

A
  • Current culture is a mix of influences, largely from Indo-Fijians and the aftereffects of British colonisation. (Christianity has become quite widespread, for instance, after being brought over by the British.)
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13
Q

Culture

Future Directions

A
  • Fijian culture remains strong and consistent over time, and this is unlikely
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14
Q

Empowerment

Continuities

A
  • Women still seem to be considered “second class citizens”, and many traditional ideas of them as in need of protection and male guidance persist.
  • There are still fairly significant power imbalances between ethnic groups in Fiji.
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15
Q

Empowerment

Changes

A
  • Women and minorities do seem to be getting more of a voice in politics as of late, and movements pushing for equal rights are gaining ground.
  • Women’s empowerment has been helped along by the ability to be financially independent from a husband or parents.
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16
Q

Empowerment

Future Directions

A
  • The groups currently being empowered by the changes we ae seeing are likely to continue gaining more social power over time, as long as these other trends continue
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17
Q

Environment

Continuities

A
  • The people feel a deep connection to their country, and take care of it.
  • Many Fijians still live in a traditional manner, in areas in which the natural environment has not changed as much.
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18
Q

Environment

Changes

A
  • Increasing urbanisation has changed the landscape of Fiji socially and physically, making the environment many Fijians are living within very different to their ancestors.
  • Many more people are spending time in workplaces and cities.
  • Climate change has had significant effects on Fiji, eroding coastlines and creating extreme storms, and this has changed the places people are able to live and work.
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19
Q

Environment

Future Directions

A
  • Urbanisation and climate change are likely to continue for now, and this means that the physical environment will continue to shift.
  • Utter transformation is deeply unlikely due to the resistance to change among some Fijians.
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20
Q

Gender

Continuities

A
  • Women are generally still treated as inferior to men, and considered more ‘delicate’ than men
  • Men are still in leading roles country-wide
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21
Q

Gender

Changes

A
  • Women gaining financial independence, are more often working in ways they are paid for.
  • Many womens’ rights movements pushing for change, including the FWRM.
22
Q

Gender

Future Directions

A
  • Increasing urbanisation creating further opportunities for women in the workplace
  • Climate change causing issues in women’s work
  • Initiatives for equality in politics.
23
Q

Globalisation

Continuities

A
  • Globalisation has met resistance in Fiji, and traditional Fijian culture is being maintained.
24
Q

Globalisation

Changes

A
  • Globalisation has led to increasing Westernisation, as well as necessitating participation in the global economy. This has been a partial cause of increasing urbanisation, as well as traditional culture becoming less central to life.
  • Effects of neo-colonialism are ongoing.
  • Tourism economy is increasingly vital.
25
Q

Globalisation

Future Directions

A
  • Globalisation is an ongoing process worldwide, and therefore its effects and the changes it causes will continue to intensify in Fiji.
  • Fijian culture is being actively maintained by many Fijians, and this is also likely to continue.
26
Q

Identity

Continuities

A
  • Fijian national identity is very strong, and individuals seem very connected to their country
  • Identification with traditional gender roles is still fairly prevalent.
27
Q

Identity

Changes

A
  • Young people are growing up with a mix of influences, a consequence of increasing globalisation and presence of foreign media.
  • As is currently common worldwide, young Fijians seem to be more connected to the world outside their country, and are therefore likely to have a different self-concept to their ancestors.
28
Q

Identity

Future Directions

A
  • Personal identity in Fiji is likely to continue to be influenced by the increasingly globalised world, and identification with traditional gender roles seems to be decreasing.
  • Traditional Fijian culture will continue to have a strong impact.
29
Q

Modernisation

Continuities

A
  • There is a fair amount of resistance to modernisation in Fiji, which means we can see significant continuities and a lot of areas not impacted majorly by modernisation.
30
Q

Modernisation

Changes

A
  • Increasing technologies and changes in where the population lives have led to other social changes, as noted elsewhere.
31
Q

Modernisation

Future Directions

A
  • Modernisation is a process that is ongoing worldwide, and is unlikely to halt any time soon.
  • Resistance and increasing awareness of possible issues can definitely reduce or slow its impacts.
32
Q

People

Continuities

A
  • Individual Fijians are often still influenced by traditional Fijian culture, and are attached to their heritage and country.
  • The majority of the Fijian population is still made up of native Fijians.
33
Q

People

Changes

A
  • Fijian individuals will also often hold many values shaped by westernisation, including Christianity, and by increasing urbanisation.
  • Approximately 40% of the current population are Indo-Fijian, descended from indentured Indian labourers brough to Fiji by the British.
34
Q

People

Future Directions

A
  • It is likely that the people of Fiji will continue to be deeply influenced by their traditional culture.
  • Influences of globalisation are likely to only increase over time, as we have seen in other areas and in the trends within Fiji itself.
35
Q

Power

Continuities

A
  • A lot of social power and sway remains with men and native Fijian people.
36
Q

Power

Changes

A
  • Several coups have been backed by military power, and the power gained by women has caused a lot of recent changes.
  • Indo-Fijian people have gained a degree of social power over time.
37
Q

Power

Future Directions

A
  • Power seems to be becoming increasingly evenly distributed, however, this process is slow, and it is entirely possible for the balance to tip back the other way.
38
Q

Society

Continuities

A
  • Many Fijians still live in a fairly traditional societal structure.
  • Councils and chiefs are still relevant and in charge of some elements of society.
  • Dynamics between groups have not entirely changed over time.
39
Q

Society

Changes

A
  • Fijian society’s structure has changed significantly due to British colonisation and its aftermath.
  • A country-wide parliamentary democracy is currently in place, as well as sectors and provinces below that level.
  • Dynamics between social groups have shifted due to changes like womens’ empowerment.
40
Q

Society

Future Directions

A
  • It is likely for current trends towards urbanisation to continue, however these rates do seem to be slowing down.
  • It is unlikely that traditional societal structures are going to stop existing, and they could even be returned to by some.
41
Q

Sustainability

Continuities

A
  • Fijian tradition emphasises community, and the reservation of nature.
  • The collectivist structure many still live in seems to effectively care for citizens.
  • Poverty rates are fairly high.
42
Q

Sustainability

Changes

A
  • Recent unrest has caused difficulty in effectively caring for the population, and environmental threats have caused issues as well.
  • The collectivist system traditional in smaller communities has not translated to the country overall.
  • Emphasis of tourism economy has impacts on citizens.
43
Q

Sustainability

Future Directions

A
  • Efforts are being made in Fiji to put sustainable practices into place, and support people as well as preserving the natural environment.
  • There are distinct and unique difficulties present, which slow down these efforts and can reduce their effectiveness.
44
Q

Technology

Continuities

A
  • Many imported technologies are not designed to function in Fiji, and many individuals and communities remain somewhat resistant to the cultural change new technologies can bring.
45
Q

Technology

Changes

A
  • Technological changes have led to many other changes in culture/tradition/etc.
  • Social media, and western media of all kinds, have impacted on the political and social climate. Westernisation is helped along by western media.
46
Q

Technology

Future Directions

A
  • Technology is very likely to continue to develop in Fiji, and impact different areas of society.
  • There will also continue to be resistance to these changes, and this could slow down these changes in some areas.
47
Q

Tradition

Continuities

A
  • Traditional Fijian culture has been largely preserved, even in new contexts. For example, the Fijian meke performed before football games.
48
Q

Tradition

Changes

A
  • Increasing commercialisation of culture has taken place, due to fetishisation.
  • Increasing modernisation and movement to urban areas has made living traditionally challenging for many.
  • Indo-Fijians have a tradition that blends Indian and Fijian customs, as shown in things the mixing of cultural dishes.
49
Q

Tradition

Future Directions

A
  • It is likely that Fijian culture will continue to be preserved, especially in smaller communities.
  • Those in urban areas will become more separated from tradition as time goes on.
50
Q

Westernisation

Continuities

A
  • Many of the traditional structures of Fiji were preserved more than in other countries.
51
Q

Westernisation

Changes

A
  • Since British colonisation, Fiji has been influenced by Western culture (introduction of Christianity)
  • Impacts of western values (changes in education, increased body-image issues for women and girls)
  • Economic pressures (large tourism industry, more women in the workforce)
52
Q

Westernisation

Future Directions

A
  • Western culture will likely continue to heavily impact on Fijian life, and values and traditions will be shaped by cultural exchange.

Society & Culture (7 decks)

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