Culture and the Economies of POW Camps

Embedded Behind Barbed Wire: Culture and the Economies of POW Camps Benjamin Manning A dissertation submitted for the fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy School of Social Science and International Studies Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: Manning First name: Benjamin Other name/s: David Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: PhD School: Social Science and International Studies Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences Title: Embedded Behind Barbed Wire: Culture and the Economies of POW Camps Abstract This thesis draws on a ‘natural experiment’ to examine the role of culture in economic activity. When Australian, British and American troops were held as prisoners of war by Japan during the Second World War, their survival depended to a large extent on their own economic organisation. Despite extreme deprivation, the camps were places of vibrant economic activity, which included not only trade, but also redistribution and reciprocity. Camp economies typically included welfare schemes alongside manufacturing and services. By viewing these camps as quasi ‘natural experimental’ sites, they provide an unusual opportunity for the study of economies which are small and contained enough to be thoroughly studied, but which are also real economies upon which survival depended. Furthermore, because the prisoners were usually separated by nationality, the camps also offer the opportunity for comparative analysis. Whereas an individualistic approach, such as that dominant in mainstream economics, might expect to find either uniformity or randomness as individuals go about pursuing their own objectives in this unusual situation, the empirical record shows that there are instead clear patterns of behaviour. Repeatedly, across hundreds of camps and over three years of captivity, in similar conditions each national group organised and conducted their economic activity differently. There is consistent variability between national groups and consistency within them. Using Karl Polanyi’s analytical framework of embeddedness, the thesis demonstrates that even though the cultures of each national group are quite similar and closely related, the instituted processes of the economies of each national group are dominated by a different form of integration. This thesis, then, provides rare quasi-experimental evidence of the structuring force of culture in economy. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). …………………………………………………………… ……………………………………..……………… …...…….… Signature Witness Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: iii Originality Statement ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed ……………………………………………………… Date ……………………… Copyright Statement ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.’ Signed ……………………………………………………… Date ……………………… Authenticity Statement ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed ……………………………………………………… Date ……………………… v Acknowledgements Completing this thesis has been a long and difficult journey, but I had a lot of help along the way. First and foremost were my three supervisors. Jocelyn Pixley was my primary supervisor originally, and I couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated one. Her support and encouragement began with convincing me to apply for doctoral study and continues still. When Joc left UNSW, Michael Pusey kindly agreed to come out of retirement and stepped in to take over. He was instrumental in getting the dissertation written. As Sondheim put it, ‘A vision’s just a vision if it’s all inside your head/ If no-one gets to see it it’s as good as dead/ It has to come to light/ Bit by bit/ Putting it together’. Michael was the taskmaster that I had asked him to be, but he was also the psychologist and the promoter, endlessly enthusiastic and encouraging. Throughout the whole period there was Maria Márkus, originally in a co-supervision role with Joc, and then as joint supervisor with Michael. Maria’s contribution is immeasurable. I don’t know what this dissertation would have been like without her formidable intelligence, erudition, insightfulness, and incredible memory. As the last PhD student for all of them (at least at UNSW), I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to benefit from their experience and expertise. As a sociologist who found himself conducting primary historical research I would have been quite lost in the archives (if I could even have found the archives) were it not for the generous assistance of several historians and archivists. Gavan Daws was tremendously generous with his time, his expertise, and his interest. He directed me to very rich sources that I would never have found, the US Army Military History Institute (USAMHI) and the library of University of North Texas, both of which were very important. Gregory Urwin was helpful too. He not only provided me with some of his own unpublished work, but also put me on to Gavan Daws and introduced me to Michael Lynch at USAMHI, who was a very welcoming fellow PhD student. Michael in turn introduced me to his colleague Rich Baker, who was really incredibly hospitable, driving me to and from the archives every day, introducing me to his family and taking me sightseeing, and even having me stay at his home. Brian Pennington of Children and Families of Far East Prisoners of War very helpfully arranged for me to interview former POWs in England. I owe those (anonymous) former POWs a great debt. The interviews were demanding and tiring for them, and they were very generous with their time and in sharing their experiences with me. vii I benefitted from the institutional support offered by UNSW, the Faculty of Arts and the School of Sociology and its successor the Social Science and International Studies. Rogee Pe-Pua as Head of School was very supportive, as was Stephen Fortescue as Associate Dean (Research). I benefitted greatly from the funding available that provided the opportunity to conduct research overseas and to participate in international conferences. The PhD seminars organised by Maria Márkus during the first couple of years of my candidacy were very stimulating and helpful in my development as a sociologist. I would also like to thank the International Sociological Association and particularly Bert Klandermans (VU, Amsterdam) and Izabela Barlinska (ISA), for the opportunity to participate in the ISA’s methods lab for PhD students, which was a very valuable opportunity from which I am still benefitting. Colleagues in the faculty, both staff and students, provided an intellectually stimulating and supportive environment that contributed to the development of my ideas,

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