Vicki Luker details the important role played by tabua—or whales' teeth—in Fijian history. Th... more Vicki Luker details the important role played by tabua—or whales' teeth—in Fijian history. Though Fiji was not a bustling whaling outpost compared to other sites in the Pacific, tabua, introduced by Tongans in the eighteenth century, came to occupy an important role as both currency between Europeans and Fijians and as a valuable item in political negotiations. In addition, Luker discusses how the infamous high chief of the Fijian polity of Rewa, Cokanauto, became a "whaler" in order to secure large quantities of tabua.
AIDS in the Twenty-first Century is surprisingly easy to read. Though the subject is complex, and... more AIDS in the Twenty-first Century is surprisingly easy to read. Though the subject is complex, and at fourteen chapters the book is relatively long, the authors assume no prior knowledge on the part of the reader. They communicate skilfully and support their main text with abundant diagrams, tables, graphs and boxes. They have clearly intended the book to be accessible. Unlike some writers on AIDS, who appeal emotively to compassion and a sense of injustice, Barnett and Whiteside explicitly address the reader’s pragmatism, self-interest and capacity to reason. Somehow, this makes the book’s underlying humanity and call to action all the more compelling. If it is read and acted upon, as the authors hope, AIDS would still change history, but perhaps for the better.
Civic Insecurity: Law, Order and HIV in Papua New Guinea, 2010
Questions relating to the military's role in spreading HIV or the impacts of HIV and AIDS on armi... more Questions relating to the military's role in spreading HIV or the impacts of HIV and AIDS on armies place the epidemic in contexts traditionally central to national security (Barnett and Prins 2005; Whiteside et al. 2006; Kershaw 2008; O'Keefe this volume). In PNG, concerns have been raised about the potential for HIV to drain resources from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF), compromise operational capacity, and spread from HIV-positive personnel to their families and to the communities where their work takes them. Fortunately, the PNGDF can exploit certain advantages in tackling HIV, including the institution's organisational structure, an established interest and role in the health of soldiers, and the army's relations with the wider international military community that have facilitated the sharing of knowledge and other forms of cooperation (see e.g., NHASP 26-29; Kendino and Kaule 2005). The PNGDF has demonstrated leadership in aspects of the response. This chapter focuses on risk factors of infection and perceptions of these within the PNGDF community, drawing on a study undertaken in 2001 and 2002. Its findings remain relevant to measures for limiting HIV's spread within the army, the uniformed services more generally, and the wider civilian population, for many of the behaviours and perceptions identified are not limited to the PNGDF-although some risk behaviours can be accentuated under military conditions (see Eves this volume; Hammar this volume; Jenkins this volume; McLeod and Macintyre this volume).
Civic Insecurity: Law, Order and HIV in Papua New Guinea, 2010
This paper was informed by discussions with Michael Monsell-Davis and ideas from his unpublished ... more This paper was informed by discussions with Michael Monsell-Davis and ideas from his unpublished paper, 'Reflections on Cultures, Social Change and the Spread of HIV in PNG and Oceania'.
AIDS in the Twenty-first Century is surprisingly easy to read. Though the subject is complex, and... more AIDS in the Twenty-first Century is surprisingly easy to read. Though the subject is complex, and at fourteen chapters the book is relatively long, the authors assume no prior knowledge on the part of the reader. They communicate skilfully and support their main text with abundant diagrams, tables, graphs and boxes. They have clearly intended the book to be accessible. Unlike some writers on AIDS, who appeal emotively to compassion and a sense of injustice, Barnett and Whiteside explicitly address the reader’s pragmatism, self-interest and capacity to reason. Somehow, this makes the book’s underlying humanity and call to action all the more compelling. If it is read and acted upon, as the authors hope, AIDS would still change history, but perhaps for the better. Vicki Luker
Civic Insecurity: Law, Order and HIV in Papua New Guinea, Dec 1, 2010
This book's overriding aim is to advance the goal of 'civic security'. Joan's story that was repr... more This book's overriding aim is to advance the goal of 'civic security'. Joan's story that was reproduced at the beginning indicated some of the term's meanings in reverse. An abused and ostracised woman with HIV, civic security was lacking from her life and death. Within the terms of this volume her experience was one result of the vicious circle produced conjointly by HIV and the complex factors that come under the rubric 'law and order'-and contributors have outlined others. Because the introduction and first chapter argued that civic security would offer both some immunity to such harms and a means of facilitating virtuous circles, this conclusion returns to the case for 'civic security' while flagging some big difficulties that do not, however, negate the general thrust. Civic security, as earlier discussed (see Luker and Dinnen this volume, chapter one) in one narrow but influential sense refers to the security of person that states in the Western democratic pattern nominally guarantee their citizens. But if 'citizenship' is used more loosely for 'membership' of a political communitylocal, national, global, or whatever-civic security can designate that safety and regard granted to an individual by virtue of his or her inalienable 'belonging' to that group.
Foreign Bodies: Oceania and the Science of Race 1750–1940, Nov 1, 2008
Something called the 'half-caste problem' was noted in many colonial situations during the interw... more Something called the 'half-caste problem' was noted in many colonial situations during the interwar period. Numerous books and chapters addressed it. 2 At least one global survey was attempted (Dover 1937). Half-castes also figured in fiction, images, and song. Noel Coward, better known for 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen', sang a ballad 'Half-caste Woman' which I listened to from an old record as a child. 3 Later, during the course of research that was not particularly concerned with miscegenation, I was struck by contrasting attitudes towards half-castes in several locations in the southwest Pacific during these decades. Two questions puzzled me. First, why, in New Zealand, was indigenous and European miscegenation actually celebrated by some proponents while advocates of a parallel process in Australia were less than jubilant? Second, why did New Zealand administrators revile and vituperate half-castes in Western Samoa when politicians and officials back home rejoiced in their nation's outstanding men of mixed race? While these views on half-castes were not universally held in their time and place, they were nevertheless prominent and I wondered how their differences could be explained. The following discussion is my attempt to do so.
ABSTRACT In global and Pacific responses to HIV, echoes of earlier experiences of leprosy can be ... more ABSTRACT In global and Pacific responses to HIV, echoes of earlier experiences of leprosy can be heard. Those working in many capacities with HIV ‒ as health professionals, development practitioners, policy-makers, even historians – have drawn parallels and ‘lessons from leprosy’. Within a Pacific context, this article reflects on some of these parallels and ‘lessons’, and the questions they raise. The latter relate to the care and integration of patients within their communities, human rights, and ‘classic’ approaches to public health. Although many people involved in the initial response to AIDS in the 1980s and early 1990s looked fervently to history for answers, the didactic role of history is not simple, as this article exemplifies. In conclusion, the question ‘Can history teach anything?’ prompts some reflections on the dialogue between the present and the past, and a final parallel between leprosy and HIV ‒ one concerning the special potency of historical records that preserve life stories.
Civic Insecurity xii RPNGC Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Raskol 'rascal', lawless young man... more Civic Insecurity xii RPNGC Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Raskol 'rascal', lawless young man Rot meri woman of the streets rabisman 'rubbish man', worthless man sagapari 'small mangrove garden', around Daru also term with meaning similar to 'tu kina bus' STD Sexually transmitted disease STI Sexually transmitted infection SW sex worker Toea unit of PNG currency: 100 toea = 1 kina Tu kina bus Outdoor setting where sex can be purchased cheaply VCT Voluntary Counselling and Testing Wantoks Kinsmen; people who speak the same language
Degei's Descendants was Aubrey Parke's doctorate, completed shortly before his death, the... more Degei's Descendants was Aubrey Parke's doctorate, completed shortly before his death, then retitled and published after. It is an extraordinarily valuable study of Fiji, Fijian traditions and Fijia...
This paper outlines the ways in which British colonial administration in Fiji, during the period ... more This paper outlines the ways in which British colonial administration in Fiji, during the period until World War II, characterized Fijian and Indian mothers. These characterizations were important because they influenced the provision of services in maternal and infant health. I argue that the administration saw Fijian and Indian mothers according to the differing roles in the colony that it had assigned to their peoples on a racial basis: yet their reproductive performance appeared to undermine these agenda. While this tale of two mothers is in many respects distressing, the treatment of Indian maternity was especially so, and receives greater emphasis here.
Leprosy (or Hansen's disease) was a problem in the colonial Pacific. To control the disease, admi... more Leprosy (or Hansen's disease) was a problem in the colonial Pacific. To control the disease, administrations there and elsewhere tried to isolate so-called 'lepers'. After a cure became available from the 1940s, this policy of segregation gave way; and by 2000 the World Health Organization's goal of 'eliminating' leprosy as a global health burden was declared met. Yet leprosy remains a challenge in many parts of the Pacific and the world. In the Pacific, the historiography of leprosy also raises questions. This article compares the extent of the published research and public awareness of the histories of leprosy relating to the Hawaiian island of Molokai and the Fijian island of Makogai. We further note contrasts between colonial and postcolonial perceptions of the disease. We scope the recent historiography of leprosy, which provides a context for the new research on leprosy in the southwest Pacific collected here. This new research addresses the themes of community formation in places of isolation and the subjective experiences of those affected by the disease. Finally, we offer readers two messages: the first of connection, the second, of humanity.
Many Pacific island countries (PICs) report extraordinarily high rates of diabetes mellitus (Tuku... more Many Pacific island countries (PICs) report extraordinarily high rates of diabetes mellitus (Tukuitonga 2016). This disease contributes significantly to the dizzying regional and global increases in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that 12 per cent of persons aged 20–79 suffer diabetes, against a global average of circa 8.8 per cent (IDF 2017: 126, 41, 43). This In Brief highlights challenges shared with other PICs, especially those of climate change and problems with data, and presents certain FSM efforts to tackle diabetes in this context.
Vicki Luker details the important role played by tabua—or whales' teeth—in Fijian history. Th... more Vicki Luker details the important role played by tabua—or whales' teeth—in Fijian history. Though Fiji was not a bustling whaling outpost compared to other sites in the Pacific, tabua, introduced by Tongans in the eighteenth century, came to occupy an important role as both currency between Europeans and Fijians and as a valuable item in political negotiations. In addition, Luker discusses how the infamous high chief of the Fijian polity of Rewa, Cokanauto, became a "whaler" in order to secure large quantities of tabua.
AIDS in the Twenty-first Century is surprisingly easy to read. Though the subject is complex, and... more AIDS in the Twenty-first Century is surprisingly easy to read. Though the subject is complex, and at fourteen chapters the book is relatively long, the authors assume no prior knowledge on the part of the reader. They communicate skilfully and support their main text with abundant diagrams, tables, graphs and boxes. They have clearly intended the book to be accessible. Unlike some writers on AIDS, who appeal emotively to compassion and a sense of injustice, Barnett and Whiteside explicitly address the reader’s pragmatism, self-interest and capacity to reason. Somehow, this makes the book’s underlying humanity and call to action all the more compelling. If it is read and acted upon, as the authors hope, AIDS would still change history, but perhaps for the better.
Civic Insecurity: Law, Order and HIV in Papua New Guinea, 2010
Questions relating to the military's role in spreading HIV or the impacts of HIV and AIDS on armi... more Questions relating to the military's role in spreading HIV or the impacts of HIV and AIDS on armies place the epidemic in contexts traditionally central to national security (Barnett and Prins 2005; Whiteside et al. 2006; Kershaw 2008; O'Keefe this volume). In PNG, concerns have been raised about the potential for HIV to drain resources from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF), compromise operational capacity, and spread from HIV-positive personnel to their families and to the communities where their work takes them. Fortunately, the PNGDF can exploit certain advantages in tackling HIV, including the institution's organisational structure, an established interest and role in the health of soldiers, and the army's relations with the wider international military community that have facilitated the sharing of knowledge and other forms of cooperation (see e.g., NHASP 26-29; Kendino and Kaule 2005). The PNGDF has demonstrated leadership in aspects of the response. This chapter focuses on risk factors of infection and perceptions of these within the PNGDF community, drawing on a study undertaken in 2001 and 2002. Its findings remain relevant to measures for limiting HIV's spread within the army, the uniformed services more generally, and the wider civilian population, for many of the behaviours and perceptions identified are not limited to the PNGDF-although some risk behaviours can be accentuated under military conditions (see Eves this volume; Hammar this volume; Jenkins this volume; McLeod and Macintyre this volume).
Civic Insecurity: Law, Order and HIV in Papua New Guinea, 2010
This paper was informed by discussions with Michael Monsell-Davis and ideas from his unpublished ... more This paper was informed by discussions with Michael Monsell-Davis and ideas from his unpublished paper, 'Reflections on Cultures, Social Change and the Spread of HIV in PNG and Oceania'.
AIDS in the Twenty-first Century is surprisingly easy to read. Though the subject is complex, and... more AIDS in the Twenty-first Century is surprisingly easy to read. Though the subject is complex, and at fourteen chapters the book is relatively long, the authors assume no prior knowledge on the part of the reader. They communicate skilfully and support their main text with abundant diagrams, tables, graphs and boxes. They have clearly intended the book to be accessible. Unlike some writers on AIDS, who appeal emotively to compassion and a sense of injustice, Barnett and Whiteside explicitly address the reader’s pragmatism, self-interest and capacity to reason. Somehow, this makes the book’s underlying humanity and call to action all the more compelling. If it is read and acted upon, as the authors hope, AIDS would still change history, but perhaps for the better. Vicki Luker
Civic Insecurity: Law, Order and HIV in Papua New Guinea, Dec 1, 2010
This book's overriding aim is to advance the goal of 'civic security'. Joan's story that was repr... more This book's overriding aim is to advance the goal of 'civic security'. Joan's story that was reproduced at the beginning indicated some of the term's meanings in reverse. An abused and ostracised woman with HIV, civic security was lacking from her life and death. Within the terms of this volume her experience was one result of the vicious circle produced conjointly by HIV and the complex factors that come under the rubric 'law and order'-and contributors have outlined others. Because the introduction and first chapter argued that civic security would offer both some immunity to such harms and a means of facilitating virtuous circles, this conclusion returns to the case for 'civic security' while flagging some big difficulties that do not, however, negate the general thrust. Civic security, as earlier discussed (see Luker and Dinnen this volume, chapter one) in one narrow but influential sense refers to the security of person that states in the Western democratic pattern nominally guarantee their citizens. But if 'citizenship' is used more loosely for 'membership' of a political communitylocal, national, global, or whatever-civic security can designate that safety and regard granted to an individual by virtue of his or her inalienable 'belonging' to that group.
Foreign Bodies: Oceania and the Science of Race 1750–1940, Nov 1, 2008
Something called the 'half-caste problem' was noted in many colonial situations during the interw... more Something called the 'half-caste problem' was noted in many colonial situations during the interwar period. Numerous books and chapters addressed it. 2 At least one global survey was attempted (Dover 1937). Half-castes also figured in fiction, images, and song. Noel Coward, better known for 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen', sang a ballad 'Half-caste Woman' which I listened to from an old record as a child. 3 Later, during the course of research that was not particularly concerned with miscegenation, I was struck by contrasting attitudes towards half-castes in several locations in the southwest Pacific during these decades. Two questions puzzled me. First, why, in New Zealand, was indigenous and European miscegenation actually celebrated by some proponents while advocates of a parallel process in Australia were less than jubilant? Second, why did New Zealand administrators revile and vituperate half-castes in Western Samoa when politicians and officials back home rejoiced in their nation's outstanding men of mixed race? While these views on half-castes were not universally held in their time and place, they were nevertheless prominent and I wondered how their differences could be explained. The following discussion is my attempt to do so.
ABSTRACT In global and Pacific responses to HIV, echoes of earlier experiences of leprosy can be ... more ABSTRACT In global and Pacific responses to HIV, echoes of earlier experiences of leprosy can be heard. Those working in many capacities with HIV ‒ as health professionals, development practitioners, policy-makers, even historians – have drawn parallels and ‘lessons from leprosy’. Within a Pacific context, this article reflects on some of these parallels and ‘lessons’, and the questions they raise. The latter relate to the care and integration of patients within their communities, human rights, and ‘classic’ approaches to public health. Although many people involved in the initial response to AIDS in the 1980s and early 1990s looked fervently to history for answers, the didactic role of history is not simple, as this article exemplifies. In conclusion, the question ‘Can history teach anything?’ prompts some reflections on the dialogue between the present and the past, and a final parallel between leprosy and HIV ‒ one concerning the special potency of historical records that preserve life stories.
Civic Insecurity xii RPNGC Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Raskol 'rascal', lawless young man... more Civic Insecurity xii RPNGC Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Raskol 'rascal', lawless young man Rot meri woman of the streets rabisman 'rubbish man', worthless man sagapari 'small mangrove garden', around Daru also term with meaning similar to 'tu kina bus' STD Sexually transmitted disease STI Sexually transmitted infection SW sex worker Toea unit of PNG currency: 100 toea = 1 kina Tu kina bus Outdoor setting where sex can be purchased cheaply VCT Voluntary Counselling and Testing Wantoks Kinsmen; people who speak the same language
Degei's Descendants was Aubrey Parke's doctorate, completed shortly before his death, the... more Degei's Descendants was Aubrey Parke's doctorate, completed shortly before his death, then retitled and published after. It is an extraordinarily valuable study of Fiji, Fijian traditions and Fijia...
This paper outlines the ways in which British colonial administration in Fiji, during the period ... more This paper outlines the ways in which British colonial administration in Fiji, during the period until World War II, characterized Fijian and Indian mothers. These characterizations were important because they influenced the provision of services in maternal and infant health. I argue that the administration saw Fijian and Indian mothers according to the differing roles in the colony that it had assigned to their peoples on a racial basis: yet their reproductive performance appeared to undermine these agenda. While this tale of two mothers is in many respects distressing, the treatment of Indian maternity was especially so, and receives greater emphasis here.
Leprosy (or Hansen's disease) was a problem in the colonial Pacific. To control the disease, admi... more Leprosy (or Hansen's disease) was a problem in the colonial Pacific. To control the disease, administrations there and elsewhere tried to isolate so-called 'lepers'. After a cure became available from the 1940s, this policy of segregation gave way; and by 2000 the World Health Organization's goal of 'eliminating' leprosy as a global health burden was declared met. Yet leprosy remains a challenge in many parts of the Pacific and the world. In the Pacific, the historiography of leprosy also raises questions. This article compares the extent of the published research and public awareness of the histories of leprosy relating to the Hawaiian island of Molokai and the Fijian island of Makogai. We further note contrasts between colonial and postcolonial perceptions of the disease. We scope the recent historiography of leprosy, which provides a context for the new research on leprosy in the southwest Pacific collected here. This new research addresses the themes of community formation in places of isolation and the subjective experiences of those affected by the disease. Finally, we offer readers two messages: the first of connection, the second, of humanity.
Many Pacific island countries (PICs) report extraordinarily high rates of diabetes mellitus (Tuku... more Many Pacific island countries (PICs) report extraordinarily high rates of diabetes mellitus (Tukuitonga 2016). This disease contributes significantly to the dizzying regional and global increases in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that 12 per cent of persons aged 20–79 suffer diabetes, against a global average of circa 8.8 per cent (IDF 2017: 126, 41, 43). This In Brief highlights challenges shared with other PICs, especially those of climate change and problems with data, and presents certain FSM efforts to tackle diabetes in this context.
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