Diversity as valued and troubled: social identities and demographic categories in understandings of rapid urban growth in Vanuatu

Abstract

This paper deals with the simultaneous mainstreaming and diversification of ni-Vanuatu social categories associated with the ways in which population growth is understood as a possible crisis in both demographic knowledge and everyday ni-Vanuatu knowledge. The author is interested in understanding the downplaying but primarily the amplification of difference with respect to place, generation and gender identities. The relationship between reproduction, social reproduction and the multiple meanings of modernity is at issue. In the expert knowledge of demography that proffers advice for the ni-Vanuatu state, it is the lack of modern development - in the form of adequate biomedical birth control, western education, and the equality of women - that is the implicit cause of population growth. Yet, many ni-Vanuatu see population growth as tied to the troubles that arise from the dilution of traditional social forms: there is too much modernity. In both demographic and ni-Vanuatu everyday narrations of the potential population crisis, diversification and mainstreaming take place and vulnerabilities are produced.

Hygiene and Health: Who Do Mothers in Vanuatu Communicate with about Health?

“…A number of factors may account for this network being small and highly disconnected. In “Urban 1”, residents are faced with the difficult meeting point of traditional and modern living [ 32 , 51 ]; that is, tradition and the web of traditional relationships are being eroded [ 51 ]. As a highly restricted urban network, the “Urban 1” mothers’ network highlights the trend away from traditional life and the problem of meeting the obligations of Western living, urbanisation and the cash economy.…”

“…As a highly restricted urban network, the “Urban 1” mothers’ network highlights the trend away from traditional life and the problem of meeting the obligations of Western living, urbanisation and the cash economy. With changes in ‘contemporary social life’, young mothers are vulnerable to social isolation [ 51 ]. The “Urban 1” mothers’ advice network highlights the crisis of urbanisation for young mothers in urban informal settlements in Port Vila.…”

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“…And the betrothed couples had proved, before the marriage and the bridewealth payment, their capacity to reproduce themselves. 9 In Seaside Tongoa, the kastom mared is sometimes also a way for parents to make sure their daughters do not give birth to a pikinini blong rod (literally a ʻchild of the roadʼ: an illegitimate child), in other words a child whose father is not clearly identified or does not want to care for him (Kelly 1999:94;Widmer 2013). Faced with the growing number of pikinini blong rod in Seaside Tongoa, some parents agree to marry their daughter still nulliparous to avoid having one more mouth to feed if she gets pregnant.…”

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“…Attitudes have not fundamentally changed since then. Migrants in Port Vila, whether from Ambrym, Tanna or smaller islands, are seen as problematic and disruptive (Widmer 2013). In Honiara, violence erupted partly because of competition between different ethnic groups for scarce urban land (and equally scarce livelihoods) (Allen 2012).…”