On the Edge of the Global: Modern Anxieties in a Pacific Island Nation (Contemporary Issues in Asia and the Pacific)

Life in twenty-first century Tonga is rife with uncertainties. Though the postcolonial island kingdom may give the appearance of stability and order, there is a malaise that pervades everyday life, a disquiet rooted in the feeling that the twin forces of ''progress'' and ''development''—and the seemingly inevitable wealth distribution that follows from them—have bypassed the society.Niko Besnier's illuminating ethnography analyzes the ways in which segments of this small-scale society grapple with their growing anxiety and hold on to different understandings of what modernity means. How should it be made relevant to local contexts? How it should mesh with practices and symbols of tradition? In the day-to-day lives of Tongans, the weight of transformations brought on by neoliberalism and democracy press not in the abstract, but in individually significant ways: how to make ends meet, how to pay lip service to tradition, and how to present a modern self without opening oneself to ridicule. Adopting a wide-angled perspective that brings together political, economic, cultural, and social concerns, this book focuses on the interface between the different forms that modern uncertainties take. Life in twenty-first century Tonga is rife with uncertainties. Though the postcolonial island kingdom may give the appearance of stability and order, there is a malaise that pervades everyday life, a disquiet rooted in the feeling that the twin forces of'progress'and'development'—and the seemingly inevitable wealth distribution that follows from them—have bypassed the society. Niko Besnier's illuminating ethnography analyzes the ways in which segments of this small-scale society grapple with their growing anxiety and hold on to different understandings of what modernity means. How should it be made relevant to local contexts? How it should mesh with practices and symbols of tradition? In the day-to-day lives of Tongans, the weight of transformations brought on by neoliberalism and democracy press not in the abstract, but in individually significant ways: how to make ends meet, how to pay lip service to tradition, and how to present a modern self without opening oneself to ridicule. Adopting a wide-angled perspective that brings together political, economic, cultural, and social concerns, this book focuses on the interface between the different forms that modern uncertainties take. Life in twenty-first century Tonga is rife with uncertainties. Though the postcolonial island kingdom may give the appearance of stability and order, there is a malaise that pervades everyday life, a disquiet rooted in the feeling that the twin forces of "progress" and "development"and the seemingly inevitable wealth distribution that follows from themhave bypassed the society. Niko Besnier's illuminating ethnography analyzes the ways in which segments of this small-scale society grapple with their growing anxiety and hold on to different understandings of what modernity means. How should it be made relevant to local contexts? How it should mesh with practices and symbols of tradition? In the day-to-day lives of Tongans, the weight of transformations brought on by neoliberalism and democracy press not in the abstract, but in individually significant how to make ends meet, how to pay lip service to tradition, and how to present a modern self without opening oneself to ridicule. Adopting a wide-angled perspective that brings together political, economic, cultural, and social concerns, this book focuses on the interface between the different forms that modern uncertainties take. Contents......Page 8 Figures, Tables, Charts, and Maps......Page 10 Note on Tongan Orthography and Transcription Conventions......Page 12 Preface......Page 14 1. Straddling the Edge of the Global......Page 28 2. Tonga’s Modernity......Page 56 3. Consumption and Cosmopolitanism......Page 102 4. When Gifts Become Commodities......Page 131 5. Modern Bodies on the Runway......Page 152 6. Coloring and Straightening......Page 187 7. Shaping the Modern Body......Page 210 8. Reconfiguring the Modern Christian......Page 232 Conclusion: Sites of Modernity......Page 258 Notes......Page 272 References......Page 290 Index......Page 320 Straddling The Edge Of The Global -- Tonga's Modernity -- Consumption And Cosmopolitanism -- When Gifts Become Commodities -- Modern Bodies On The Runway -- Coloring And Straightening -- Shaping The Modern Body -- Reconfiguring The Modern Christian -- Conclusion : Sites Of Modernity. Niko Besnier. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book explores the malaise present in post-colonial Tonga, analyzing the way in which segments of this small-scale society hold on to different understandings of what modernity is, how it should be made relevant to local contexts, and how it should mesh with practices and symbols of tradition.