Persistence of the gift : Tongan tradition in transnational context / Mike Evans.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Evans, Mike, 1961-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ceremonial exchange--Tonga--Haano Island.

Ceremonial exchange.

Ha'ano Island (Tonga)--Social life and customs.

Ha'ano Island (Tonga).

Ha'ano Island (Tonga)--Economic conditions.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (220 pages) : illustrations, maps

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Waterloo, Ont. : Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2001.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Tonga, the South Pacific island kingdom located east of Fiji and south of Samoa, is one of the world's few remaining constitutional monarchies. Although Tonga has long been linked to the world system through markets and political relationships, in the last few decades emerging regional and global structures have had particularly intense and transformative effects. Today, because of greatly increased labour migration, people, money, and resources are in constant circulation among Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. In Persistence of the Gift, Evans provides a detailed ethnographic and historical analysis of how, in spite of superficial appearances to the contrary, traditional Tongan values continue to play key roles in the way that Tongans make their way in the modern world.

Contents:

Introduction- Recentring the Periphery

Economic Development in Polynesia

Social Structure and Organization during the Contact and Early Post-Contact Period

European Contact and the Transformation of the Traditional Polity

Contemporary Social Organization among Village Commoners

The Island Economy

Gift Exchange and Ceremony

Conclusion- By Their Actions Ye Shall Know Them

Appendix One: A Comparison of the Population and Demography of Ha'ano Island and the Kingdom of Tonga As a Whole

Appendix Two: Glossary of Tongan Terms

Appendix Three: Configuration of Households- Pila and Leti.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based upon print version of record.

ISBN:

9786610925407

9781554582143

1554582148

9781280925405

128092540X

9780889209442

0889209448

9780585458519

0585458510

OCLC:

753479495