2007/09/28 by Yash Ghai, Jacqueline Cottrell · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Island Studies and Pacific Affairs #Australian History and Society #Politics #Ethnic group #Political science #Gender studies #Sociology #Law
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/icon/mom030
openalex publication_date 2007/09/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
There have been sharp divisions of opinion throughout Fiji's modern history between those advocating an integrated, nonracial state, based on individual rights, and those in favor of a political order based on ethnic communities. Integration and consociation, perhaps, are not apt terms to categorize this division, but, certainly, they have some resonance. Many features associated with consociation have been present in the colonial and the postcolonial constitutions, such as separate communal representation, group rights, asymmetrical autonomy, power sharing, separate educational systems, and entrenchment of rights to culture and land. Norms regarding indigenous peoples’ rights have been invoked, as well, adding an extra twist to the integration-consociation polarity. But there have also been strong tendencies toward political integration and broad-based, nonethnic social justice policies. Fiji's experience shows that this polarity has limited intellectual or policy value. Consociation easily and, in Fiji's case, seamlessly slides into hegemony.