Chattier, Priya (2005) Understanding poverty from a gender perspective: thinking 'small' through Paaru's story. Fijian Studies: A Journal of Contemporary Fiji, 3 (2). pp. 249-276. ISSN 1728-7456
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Abstract
Recent thinking on poverty and poverty reduction in Fiji tends to be 'big' in terms of ideas, units of analysis, data sets, plans and ambitions. While recognizing the benefits of such approaches, this paper argues that researchers should counterbalance and supplement big ideas through 'thinking small'. In this context, a narrative of a single household in a rural Indo-Fijian settlement confirms much current thinking about persistent poverty in Fiji and why social exclusion based on gender and ethnicity keeps people poor. This story raises challenges to contemporary orthodoxies by examining aspects of human agency and well-being, in particular women's agency and well-being that have long been neglected in previous studies of poverty. It demonstrates that 'listening to silent voices' provides an invaluable reference for scholars contributing to a more expansive, human concept of development.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) > School of Social Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Ms Shalni Sanjana |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Jan 2013 22:38 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Jan 2013 22:38 |
| URI: | https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/5416 |
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