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You are here: Centre for Research on Social Inclusion >> People >> Dr Bob Norton

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Dr Bob Norton
Anthropology

BAHons (1965), PhD (1972) Anthropology, University of Sydney

Appointed as a Tutor in the Department of Anthropology, Macquarie University in 1969, and retired from the Department as a Senior Lecturer and the Head of Department in 2004. I am now a Senior Research Fellow in the Department.

Research

My field research work and publications have mainly concerned the politics of ethnic conflict and accommodation in Fiji. Research and writing on Fiji’s ethnic conflict problem over a period of nearly 40 years has led me to comparative library-based study of a number of other post-colonial societies with comparable histories: especially Trinidad, Guyana, Mauritius. One of my projects now is to produce a book from this work. My most recent publications (journal articles) dealing with the process of decolonisation in Fiji were based on archival research in London, Suva, and Canberra.

In addition to my work on Fiji, I have conducted field research projects on social change in villages in Samoa and Tonga, focussing especially on the impact of labour emigration and remitting.

Consulting

Report on remitting by emigrants from Fiji, for Centre on Migration, Policy and Society, University of Oxford, Oxford, Ukiitances - June-August 2004 (completed 1 September 2004)

Principal Publications

Books (Sole author)

1977 Race and Politics in Fiji university of Queensland Press 1977, & St .Martin's Press, New York, 1978, pp. 210.

1990 Race and Politics in Fiji University of Queensland Press 2nd edition, Pp 212 (rewritten, with three new chapters)

Refereed Articles and Book Chapters (all sole authored)

1981, 'The Mediation of Ethnic Conflict: Comparative Implications of the Fiji Case' Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics Vol 19, pp. 309-28.

1983, 'Ethnicity, 'Ethnicity', and Culture Theory', Man Vol 18, pp. 190-191.

1984, 'Ethnicity and Class: A conceptual note with reference to the politics of post-colonial societies' Ethnic and Racial Studies Vol 7, pp. 426-434.

1984, 'Titles, Wealth, and Faction: Electoral Politics in a Samoan Village', Oceania, Vol 55, 100-117.

1986 'Colonial Fiji: Ethnic Divisions and Elite Conciliation' In B.Lal (ed) Politics in Fiji Sydney, Allen & Unwin pp 52-73.

1988, 'Chiefs, adolescent suicide and the transformation of chiefly authority in Western Samoa', Man Vol 23 pp.759-760.

1993 'Ethno-nationalism and the Constitutive Power of Cultural Politics:A Comparative Study of Fiji and Sri Lanka' Journal of Asian and African Studies Vol 28(3-4), 180-197.

1993 'Culture and Identity in the South Pacific: A Comparative Analysis', Man (J of the Royal Anthropological Institute), Vol 28 (4), 741-759.

1994 'Ethnic Conflict and Accommodation in Post-Coup Fiji' Communal/Plural Vol 3, 43-64

1999 'Chiefs for the Nation: Containing Ethno-nationalism and Bridging the Ethnic Divide in Fiji' Pacific Studies Vol 22(1) 21-50

2000 'Reconciling Ethnicity and Nation: Contending Discourses in Fiji’s Constitutional Reform' The Contemporary Pacific Vol 12 (1) 83-122

2002 'Accommodating Indigenous Privilege: Britain’s Dilemma in the Decolonisation of Fiji' Journal of Pacific History Vol 37(2) 133-156

2004 'Seldom a Transition with such Aplomb: From Confrontation to Conciliation on Fiji’s Path to Independence' Journal of Pacific History Vol 39(2):

Sample book reviews

Customs of Respect: The Traditional Basis of Fijian Communal Politics (J.Nation) Oceania Vol 52, 1981, pp 154-55.

The Pacification of Melanesia (Rodman and Cooper eds) The Journal of the Polynesian Society Vol 91 1982 pp. pp 158-162.

Margaret Mead and Samoa: The Making and Unmaking of an Anthropological Myth (D.Freeman) Mankind Vol 13, 1983, pp 534-535.

Fiji: Future Imperfect (M.Taylor ed) Pacific Studies Vol 12(1) 1988, pp 163-168.

Cultural Identity and Ethnicity in the Pacific (Linnekin & Poyer eds) Journal of Pacific History Vol 26(1) 1991,119-21.

A Politics of Virtue: Hinduism, Sexuality, and Countercolonial Discourse in Fiji (J.Kelly) The Contemporary Pacific Fall 1993, 450-452.

The Failure of Democratic Politics in Fiji (S.Lawson) & Beyond the Politics of Race (W.Sutherland), Pacific Research August 1993, 40-41.

Tradition Versus Democracy in the South Pacific (S. Lawson) Cambridge University Press, Oceania Vol69(2) 1998 136-137

Confronting Fiji Futures The Australian Journal of Anthropology Vol13(1) 111-113

Common Worlds and Single Lives: Constituting Knowledge in Pacific Societies (V.Keck ed) Berg, Oxford The Australian Journal of Anthropology Vol 12(1) 2001 96-99

Represented Communities: Fiji and World Decolonisation (J Kelly & M Kaplan) University of Chicago Press, Oceania vol73 2002 85-86

Mind, Materiality and History: Explorations in Fijian Ethnography (C. Toren) The Australian Journal of Anthropology Vol 14 2003 123-124

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