Academic literature on the topic 'University of the South Pacific, Fiji'

This is a thesis that presents a qualitative mixed method study of 30 students engaged in distance and flexible learning (DFL) courses of study across two campuses of the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. The goals of this research were to develop an account of the personal and cultural learning practices that students draw on and use when negotiating learning in their University studies and to understand the ways that University courses including teaching and learning interactions and course materials contribute to student learning and success. At the centre of this study is the concept of learning as negotiated practice. Data sources included a questionnaire with semi-structured and open-ended questions. Data collection and analysis was guided by the construct of third space theory (Guitierrez, 1999), which provided a frame for considering students’ DFL experiences as acts of negotiation that are situated in nested socio-cultural and socio-historical contexts. Two descriptive campus cases of learning are presented, one for each of the Lautoka and Labasa campuses. Within each case, data from a student group provides background to in-depth learning stories for focus of students at each campus. Given the socio-cultural, economical, political and the geographical difficulties that DFL students face this study shows that they also face constraints within the University learning contexts that impact the way they construct meaning from their learning experiences. This study draws attention to the need for teaching and learning in DFL that is learner focused and learner centred and that acknowledges learning as a social and cultural undertaking which is constructed as students draw on personal funds of knowledge to navigate unfamiliar terrain. Findings suggest that universities offering DFL courses would benefit students if the environments for learning constructed in DFL courses were developed in such a way that provides students with opportunities to draw on their unofficial personal and cultural resources in ways that enhance their ability to learn in the official world of University study. Third space theory is utilised to develop explanations of learning in DFL as a mediated act of negotiation between these official and unofficial spaces that learners inhabit. In the process of engaging and negotiating learning between the DFL learner’s two spaces, a third space or hybrid space is created. This space represents the negotiated solution to solving learning problems.<br>Thesis (PhD Doctorate)<br>Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)<br>School of Education and Professional Studies<br>Arts, Education and Law<br>Full Text

With the onset of the independence of the Pacific Island States, the role of the mass media and their developmental processes began to be examined. This was of particular interest due to the obvious lack of a sufficient native media infrastructure to meet the demands of an indigenous population who were being introduced to a new world sphere and system. The main problem of mass media development in the Pacific lies in the fact that the nations in this area are still relatively behind in the basic structures of media participation. They lack technological knowledge of the various forms of media, the basic training and skills, and, moreover, the monetary means to address such deficiencies in the media. The outcome of this circumstance has been that Pacific media have become increasingly dependent upon the Western, industrialized nations such as the USA, Australia and New Zealand. Such dependence on these foreign nations has given rise to the question of 'cultural imperialism'. The aforementioned countries have a large influence in the Pacific through the unequal relaying of communication and cultural products and in the ownership of mass media agencies. This history of foreign based, imported culture has manifested itself in increased urbanization, social disruption, and greater commodity dependence and consumerism in the Pacific. This study will therefore be an attempt to analyse the media development processes of the Pacific by using Fiji as a case study. The critical analysis will come from Wallerstein's World System perspective. Further, it will be shown how Fiji's historical, involvement in the 'capitalist world economy', and her history of racism in the political and communication aspects of her society have helped shape her present media system. The underlying premise of the argument, will be that these factors have not been beneficial to achieving mass media development based on self-sufficiency, nor on harmony between the ethnic groups of Fiji.

The oral histories utilized by this research reveal the experiences of those who suffered leprosy in five South Pacific nations, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. This thesis explores how leprosy and its stigma impacted on the lives of these people, some of whom suffered decades of isolation at various leprosaria including the case of one New Caledonian resident for nearly seventy years. The testimonies of their experiences of diagnosis, removal into isolation, medical treatment and eventual discharge back to their homes implicitly contain descriptions of attitudes of stigma in their communities. This research reveals that where there is openness and knowledge about the minimal risk of leprosy contagion, as occurred in Fiji and Vanuatu from the 1950s, less stigma is attached to the disease. Nevertheless even in these countries, prior to the 1950s and availability of any effective medication, the fear and horror of the physical effects of leprosy was such that the victims were either cast out or chose to move away from their homes. This segregation led to groups of leprosy sufferers banding together to help care for each other. Once the policy of isolation in leprosaria was implemented, advanced cases of leprosy benefited from the better medical facilities and found opportunities for friendships and camaraderie. However, where the conditions at leprosaria were miserable and movements of the residents visibly restricted by fences, as occurred in Samoa and Tonga, there was heightened leprosy stigma. Perceptions of stigma varied from person to person and region to region. Higher levels of stigma were evident in New Caledonia, where leprosaria had been situated at former prison sites and strict isolation enforced, and in Tonga, where the removal of all leprosy sufferers had from the earliest days been associated with biblical strictures asserting that leprosy was a curse and the sufferers unclean. Following the availability of sulphone treatment in the South Pacific in the1950s and the improved medication in the 1980s, leprosy need no longer be physically disfiguring or disabling. Assisted by the generous donations gathered by the Pacific Leprosy Foundation in New Zealand to the medical services at the central leprosy hospital in Fiji, and by direct assistance to leprosy sufferers in the Pacific, the disadvantages that were imposed by leprosy in the past are disappearing and as one contributor to the project said ‘the time of darkness’ is ending.

This thesis addresses the phenomenon of short-term labour migration between Fiji and New Zealand that operates within the confining structures of formally instituted work permit schemes. Established since the late 1960s on the initiative of New Zealand governments, as part of attempts to regulate labour movements from Pacific Island nations to New Zealand, these schemes have had their greatest success in controlling flows from Fiji. Numerically the most significant users of the schemes, many among this flow have sought rural work in New Zealand. This in turn has led to the expression of hopes that a degree of skill and money transfer will operate through this means to assist Fiji's development. Establishing the efficacy of such mechanisms is a major aim of this thesis. The study also details the pervasive role of government policy in the fortunes of short-term South Pacific labour migration. The need for integrated and flexible approaches to this study is accepted, with the proviso that the requirement to situate this controversial migration in the context of policy is paramount. The latter is achieved here, with the result that the conclusions drawn are generally sympathetic to scheme labour migration, and are therefore somewhat at odds with observed but not openly stated New Zealand government policy.

Due to the recent increased quantity of nutrition-related diseases worldwide, current research recommends exploring environmental factors that influence this trend. The Islands of Fiji are of particular concern because of the growing number of non- communicable diseases. On the same small island, nutrition problems vary according to demographic. Thus, the different environments of each demographic constitute diverse food environments, which are manifested in varied nutrition concerns. This study explored environmental motivators of food choice for the Fijian population. Gathering the perspectives of Fijian Islanders using a narrative inquiry research format proved to be insightful in measuring the environmental influences of decisions pertaining to food.

This study focuses on student listening needs in the context of the English for Academic Purposes program taught by distance education at the University of the South Pacific. It explores the relationship between learners� awareness of the learning strategy they use for developing their listening skills and their teachers� knowledge of the strategy use and listening needs of learners. Using an ethnographic case study approach, the study was conducted at various campuses and centres of the University of the South Pacific. Interviews were conducted with five EAP/study skills teachers, five subject/course teachers, 19 past learners and 10 present learners of the EAP/study skills course. Questionnaire data was also obtained from 19 past learners and 153 present learners. In addition, a course material analysis was carried out. The study confirms and adds weight to the conclusions of earlier researchers such as Berne (1998), and Mendelsohn (2001) who explain that discrepancies exist between L2 listening research and practice. The findings of this research indicate that teachers differ from their learners in terms of learners� knowledge and understanding of listening skills and learning strategies in use. The findings also indicate that even though learning had taken place in this distance education context some face-to-face teaching would have been desirable. A combination of distance teaching with longer teacher-learner contact for distance teaching of listening skills is recommended, since regular contact between teachers and learners is seen by learners as very beneficial and more likely to lead to a better development of listening skills. It also helps create an awareness of learners� present and future listening needs. The nature of distance teaching at the University of the South Pacific, and the challenges faced by both teachers and learners are discussed in this study, and the requirement for further needs analysis in regard to distance EAP courses are noted. The study concludes with recommendations for strategy training for distance learners as well as for raising teacher awareness about the importance of strategy teaching. It is also recommended that similar studies be undertaken in other language skills courses offered by distance at universities like USP such as reading, writing and speaking courses.

This thesis compares the political culture of university students in South Korea before and after the democratic transition in 1987. It identifies the changes in the following: the attitudes to politics, government and media; the political socialization process; the experience of political participation; and the reasons for political participation and non-participation. Qualitative analysis was used to analyse the data collected from interviews and surveys conducted on respondents who were university students in the 1980s and current university students. It was found that compared to university students in the 1980s, current university students held less intensely negative attitudes towards the government. However, although current university students were interested in politics, they were still distrustful of politicians, did not have a political party they supported and had low levels of perceived political efficacy and political participation. Based on these findings, this thesis examined three different types of theories to explain the changes in the political culture of university students. First, demand-side theories that focus on underlying socioeconomic changes to explain changes in the political culture were used to analyse the changes in the reasons for political participation and the changes in the political socialization process. Second, intermediary-side theories that emphasise the role of media were used to examine the changes in the attitudes towards the media and the experience of latent political participation. Finally, supply-side theories that focus on the supply of politics and governance were used to explain the changes in the other elements of political culture. Close examination into the workings of democracy in South Korea since the democratic transition in 1987 revealed that there were indications of cartelisation of the political party system, which explains the low levels of political trust and perceived political efficacy reported by current university students.

This study explored assumptions about communication styles used by nationals of countries that share what is perceived as a common native language. Participants were from Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay, and the common native language was Spanish. Data were gathered before and after their attendance at a five-day training event with attendees from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay via surv'ey questionnaires (pre) and interview questionnaires (post). The data were analyzed for participants' assumptions about communication styles and whether these were confirmed or challenged by intercultural interaction. They were also analyzed for ways in which the perception of a shared native language could influence assumptions and interactions. The results revealed four primary communication styles involved in participants' assumptions: 1) Harmony versus Assertiveness, 2) Accessibility versus Exclusiveness, 3) Vocabulary, and 4) Intercultural Conflict Styles, among other insights related to the study questions.