Tradition versus democracy in the South Pacific: Fiji, Tonga and Western Samoa

Much literature on non-Western traditions celebrates the renaissance of indigenous cultures. Others have been more critical of this renaissance, especiallywith respect to its political implications. This study analyses the assertionof ‘tradition’ by indigenous elites, looking especially at the way it is usedto differentiate ‘the West’ from the ‘non-West’. This is important to contemporary discussion about the validity of democracy outside the West and problemsconcerning universalism and relativism. The discussion of Fiji focuses on constitutional development and the traditionalist emphasis on chiefly legitimacy.The rise of the Pro-Democracy Movement in Tonga is considered against the background of a conservative political order that has so far resisted pressure for reform. The move to universal suffrage in Western Samoa is seen not as a rejection of traditional ways in favour of democratic norms, but as a means of preserving important aspects of traditional culture. INDICE: List of maps; List of tables; Preface; Introduction; 1. Tradition and democracy; 2. Constitutional development, chiefly power, and the politics of tradition in Fiji; 3. The monarchy versus democracy in the kingdom of Tonga; 4. Preserving tradition through democratisation: the introduction of universal suffrage in Western Samoa; 5. Conclusion: tradition versus the west; Notes;Bibliography; Index.

• ISBN: 978-0-521-06281-7
• Editorial: Cambridge University
• Encuadernacion: Rústica
• Páginas: 244
• Fecha Publicación: 15/05/2008
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés