PLEASE TYPE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Project Report Sheet Surname or Family. name ..................................................................................................... Kiuse Vaai , ........................................................................................... Firstname: .......... ~ .................................................: ............... Othername/s: ...... J:l~.l.~JJg ............................................................................. Abbreviationfordegreeasgivenin the University calendar: ........ g9.P............................................................................................................................... Schoot: .......~gJ.i~.h .................................................................... Faculty: ..... !::E!-.!!?. ...?..1]-9.- ... §~S~?..~.... §S~~~~.~.~ ................................. .. n&: ..... ~.?.9.Y.s~s. ...~e~ ... I~~t ..C?..L~;b:t:.~.~.; .... :n}~..... ~P.P.E9.P.E;t;§.t.~9.D ... 9.t. ... g;g.9.~.-t§n ... ;t;D..................................... ............ ~S?D.t~.f.§IT. ...§~.~ ................................................................................................................................................................. .. Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) This study investigates the ways in which English has been received by Sqmoan society and continues to shape present day life in Western Samoa. It provides a literary and sociolinguistic study of several domains which have incorporated English in ways which reveal the hybrid complexity of contemporary Samoan life. Rather than a 'dualistic' "detente" between Samoan and English, the colonial language has been incorporated as an authentic feature of Samoan society. The thesis considers how the traditional traverses the modern and creates cross cultural "texts" - written, spoken, acted or carrnunicated in various ways. Such texts are helping to shape Samoan society, and the language use on which they are predicated can be explained by analysing their post-colonial features. Samoa is not alone in the complex adoption of the colonial English language, but the particularly resilient nature of Samoan society has revealed the positive benefits of a hybrid social developnent. Declaration relating to dl!lposltlon of project report/thesis I am fully aware of the policy of the University relating to the retention and use ofhigherdegreepro.Jectreports and theses, namely that the University retains the copiessubmittedforexaminationandisfreetoallowthemtobeconsultedorborrowed.SubjecttotheprovisionsoftheCopyrlghtActl968,theUniversitymay issue a project report or thesis in whole orin part, in photostat or microfilm or other copying medium. I also authorise the publication by University Microfilms of a 350word abstracfin Dissertation Abstracts International (applicable to doctorates only). I 1................ .. .................... .! . \......... .. ....,.:l~~ .. l'-.1..~ .......................... Signature f VWitness Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. RequestS forrestriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing to the Registrar. Requests fora longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances ifaccompanied by a Iettec of support from the Supervisor or Head of SchooL Such requests must be submitted with the thesis/projectreport. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY l J ln • ...1 a }I,.. -~· THIS SHEET IS TO BE GLUED TO THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THE TimSIS ST 428.24 87 Producing the Text of Culture: The Appropriation of English in Contemporary Samoa by Emma Kruse V a' ai Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of English University of New South Waic.s February 1998 UNSW 2 9 APR 1998 LIBRARY CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I hereby declare Umt U1is submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any otl1er educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in U1e U1esis. Any contribution made to U1e research by colleagues, witl1 whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, during my candidature, is fully acknowledged. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is U1e 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. '· This work is dedicated to the Mission Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM) whose contribution to Education in Samoa continues. Sa i le amataga le Upu ... Johni: i Acknowledgments Fa'afetai tele lava to all who helped bring this work to completion. I apologise for being unable t9 thank every one by name. Sincere thanks.to my supervisor Dr Bill Ashcroft and co- supervisor, Associate Professor Grant Me Call for their patience and support across the miles between Samoa and Australia. Thanks also to the Australian Government for funding this study; to Vice Chancellors of the National University of Samoa (NUS): Tauiliili Uili Meredith (1984-92) and Tauavamea Dr. L. Palepoi (1993- 98), the University Council, the English Department and staff of the National University for their.encouragement and support. Thanks also to the University of the South Pacific (USP)- School of Agriculture - Alafua Campus for giving me a study space in the first two years of this journey. Thank you to Dr. Geulah Solomon and Dr Peggy Fairbairn Dunlop whose initial interest and continual help made this extramural study possible. I thank also the people. who gave their time to talk and help in numerous· ways; to friends, and various members of our local community, the Public Service and Government Departments, the local radio stations, teachers, local writers and creative artists. Thank you also to the members of the Judiciary and Legal Profession, the Justice Department, the staff and students of Samoa College, the staff of the USP libraries- Alafua and Malifa Centre, the Nelson Public Library, Siavata Gale and staff of the NUS Library. Thanks also to the UNSW School of English staff and postgrads for their assistance and goodwill during my 2-month (August- September 1997) writing stint on-campus. To my parents Hans and Moana Kruse, my brothers and sisters - so far yet so near in your tapuaiga, my children Moana, Saleimoa, Courtney, Monique and Jay, my husband Alo Vaemoa and to the rest of our aiga- Malo le tapua'L Fa'afetai le alofa. Abstract This study investigates the ways in which English has been received by Samoan society and continues to shape present day life in Western Samoa. It provides a literary and sociolinguistic study of several domains which have incorporated English in ways which reveal the hybrid complexity of contemporary Samoan life. Rather than a 'dualistic' "detente" between Samoan and English, the colonial language has been incorporated as an authentic feature of Samoan society. The thesis considers how the traditional traverses the modern and creates cross cultural'texts' --written, spoken, acted or communicated in various ways. Such texts are helping to shape Samoan society, and the language use on which they are predicated can be explained by analysing their post-colonial features·. Samoa is not alone in the complex adoption of the colonial English language, but the particularly resilient nature of Samoan society has revealed the positive benefits of a hybrid social development. oOo Contents Introduction i Chapter One: Language, Culture and Text: Theoretical Issues. 1 (i) Language and Cultural Reality. 2 (ii) Textuality: 9 (iii) Hybridity 15 (iv) The Myth of Authenticity 19 (v) Ambivalence 26 (vi) Language as Social Practice 28 Chapter Two: Dynamism and Resilience: Samoan Social Structure and Cultural ~~ ~ Faa-Samoa: The Resilience of the System 33 TheMatai 34 The Maintainance of Faa Samoa: Social Behaviour, Social Structure and Language Use. 42 The Adaptation of Traditional to Modern: Political Organisation 48 A Hybrid System: The Courts and the Fono 52 Village Jurisdiction 55 Adaptability: The Appropriation of Christianity. 57 Chapter Three: Linguistic and Cultural Hybridization 63 The Case for Hybridity 65 Modes of Hybridization in Samoa. 71 Cultural Hybridization 71 The Samoan Counting System and Calendar 73 Linguistic Hybridization 77 Children's Talk 79 Faafafine 80 Informal Contexts of Discourse 83 Regional Variants 88 Language Use in Parliament and the Public Service 90 Chapter Four: A Post-colonial Judicial System 98 The Two Systems : the Law Courts and the Village Fono. 99 The Ifoga 105 The Interaction of Judicial Systems 111 The Role and Use of Language 113 The Concept Of "The Reasonable Man" 119 The Significance of the Judicial'Text' for Contemporary Western Samoa 123 Chapter Five: Samoan Performance and Cross Cultural Textuality: Three Case Studies 131 Three Performance Models 132 Case Study (i) Appropriation and Comic Improvisation: The Faleaitu. An Oral Play. A traditional Comic form in a Modern Setting. 133 Case study (ii) Between the Oral and the Written: Light at the End a play with an oral script. 140 Case Study (iii) The Hybrid Written Script: Think of a Garden by John Kneribuhl. 151 Chapter Six: Popular Culture 160 The Growth of the Popular Media 160 Culture and Popular Media 165 Popular Songs 167 Stories