First published in 1929, Raymond Firth's original and insightful study offers an incredibly detailed account of the social and economic organisation of the Maori people before their contact with Western civilisation. Bridging the gap between anthropology and economics, the work covers the class structure, land system, industry, methods of co-operative labour, exchange and distribution, and the psychological foundations of Maori society. This reissue will be welcomed by all students of anthropology and anyone interested the history of the Maori people.
This book details the interactions between the Seeds of Rangiatea, New Zealand’s Maori people of Polynesian origin, and Europe from 1769 to 1900. It provides a case-study of the way Imperial era contact and colonization negatively affected naturally evolving demographic/epidemiologic transitions and imposed economic conditions that thwarted development by precursor peoples, wherever European expansion occurred. In doing so, it questions the applicability of conventional models for analyses of colonial histories of population/health and of development. The book focuses on, and synthesizes, the most critical parts of the story, the health and population trends, and the economic and social development of Maori. It adopts demographic methodologies, most typically used in developing countries, which allow the mapping of broad changes in Maori society, particularly their survival as a people. The book raises general theoretical questions about how populations react to the introduction of diseases to which they have no natural immunity. Another more general theoretical issue is what happens when one society’s development processes are superseded by those of some more powerful force, whether an imperial power or a modern-day agency, which has ingrained ideas about objectives and strategies for development. Finally, it explores how health and development interact. The Maori experience of contact and colonization, lasting from 1769 to circa 1900, narrated here, is an all too familiar story for many other territories and populations, Natives and former colonists. This book provides a case-study with wider ramifications for theory in colonial history, development studies, demography, anthropology and other fields.
"This book is based on the three separate studies that made up the Intra Family Income Study ... all of the Māori and Pacific Islands examples are taken from the [studies] ... enriched and extended the examples from the Pākehā study with details ... from unpublished interview notes"--P. [vii] and [ix].
Tangata Whenua: A History presents a rich narrative of the Māori past from ancient origins in South China to the twenty-first century, in a handy paperback format. The authoritative text is drawn directly from the award-winning Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History; the full text of the big hardback is available in a reader-friendly edition, ideal for students and for bedtime reading, and a perfect gift for those whose budgets do not stretch to the illustrated edition. Maps and diagrams complement the text, along with a full set of references and the important statistical appendix. Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History was published to widespread acclaim in late 2014. This magnificent history has featured regularly in the award lists: winner of the 2015 Royal Society Science Book Prize, shortlisted for the international Ernest Scott Prize, winner of the Te Kōrero o Mua (History) Award at the Ngā Kupu ora Aotearoa Māori Book Awards, and Gold in the Pride in Print Awards. The importance of this history to New Zealand cannot be overstated. Māori leaders emphatically endorsed the book, as have reviewers and younger commentators. They speak of the way Tangata Whenua draws together different strands of knowledge – from historical research through archaeology and science to oral tradition. They remark on the contribution this book makes to evolving knowledge, describing it as ‘a canvas to paint the future on’. And many comment on the contribution it makes to the growth of understanding between the people of this country.
"This landmark publication draws together all that has ever been written about the role of freshwater fishes in the lives of early Maori. Species such as tuna (eels) kanakana (lamprey), inanga and kokopu were of high importance in the traditional diets of Maori, who were well aware of the places and seasons in which these fish could be harvested. Bob McDowall has made it his life's work to read every word ever written on the subject of Maori fisheries, from passing references in explorers' diaries, to the significant literary achievements of Elsdon Best and Te Rangi Hiroa in the 1920s, to the recent reports of the Waitangi Tribunal. In Ikawai, all the knowledge on record is connected into a coherent account for the first time, and interpreted in the light of modern scientific knowledge of the fish fauna. As well as being highly informative, Ikawai also serves to illustrate the beauty associated with Maori fisheries. Bob has amassed an extraordinary collection of photographs of the fish themselves, of the artefacts Maori customarily used in catching fish, and of artworks by modern Maori practitioners, some reflecting the many legends and stories associated with fish. He has also unearthed some stunning and highly significant historical images that were hidden away in archives, libraries and photographic collections. This compendium is an essential resource for anyone interested in the lives and livelihood of New Zealand's earliest settlers." --Publisher.
This book is a major scientific contribution to economic anthropology and has now become a standard work. The original edition gave the first systematic analysis of the basic problems concerned with the accumulation and disposal of wealth among the pre-European Maori. In the elucidation of this important aspect of Maori sociology the rich data accumulated by generations of scholars were brought into perspective in the light of modern theory. The analysis of the structure and operations of primitive Maori economic affairs was completed by an examination of the changes resulting from the contact of Maori with Europeans. For this new edition the general introductory chapter has been completely rewritten and much new material added. The final chapter on the post-European period has been much expanded to show the developing contribution of the modern Maori to New Zealand society as a whole.
Migration and the movement of people is one of the critical issues confronting the world’s nations in the twenty-first-century. This book is about the economic contribution of migration to and from New Zealand, one of the most frequently discussed aspects of the debate. Can immigration, in economic terms, be more than a gap filler for the labour market and help as well with national economic transformation? And what is the evidence on the effect of migration not just on house prices but also on jobs, trade or broader economic performance? Building on Sir Paul Callaghan’s vision of New Zealand as a place ‘where talent wants to live’, this book explores how we can attract skilled, creative and entrepreneurial people born in other countries, and whether our ‘seventeenth region’ – the more than 600,000 New Zealanders living abroad – can be a greater national asset.
Leading UK economist Guy Standing has referred to the precariat as a class-in-the-making. The Precariat are our fellow citizens — be they poor, elderly, disabled, homeless, estranged from their cultural communities, refugees, engaged in casual work — who lead lives of uncertainty, dependency, powerlessness, perilousness and insufficiency. They are the outcome of the gradual dismantling of the welfare state and the withering of union representation. They are also the victims of the changing nature of work. This important book moves beyond the world of labour to identify and illustrate other forms of precarity in New Zealand, including the lack of opportunities for cultural expression and the struggle to be safe. It focuses on New Zealand's emerging class, not to further vilify it but rather to place its members' lived experience in plain sight. As the editors say, &‘It is time that all New Zealanders understood the reality of what many of our citizens endure in the struggle to make ends meet and live dignified lives.'
In a world where racial tensions and racial and ethnic inequality seem to be increasing, it is instructive to look back over the decade of the 1990s to examine what academic researchers have had to say about the global nature of race, racism, and racial inequality. Almost every country with a multiethnic population faces these problems. This collection of essays provides an eclectic but accessible mix of readings on perspectives from such countries as Australia, Russia, France, Chile, West Africa, India, and the United States. Emphasis is placed on positive strategies to help reduce or eliminate economic inequality. The implications for the demise of affirmative action programs are also discussed. Pre-dating the United Nation's World Conference on Racism, the readings anticipate many of the recommendations and insights that have now come to be the core of international strategies. This collection will prove valuable to all those concerned with ending racism and achieving racial and ethnic economic equality.
