Coming of Age in a New Democracy: How Young Indo-Fijians Navigate Identity and Community

Citation:

Lindsay, Phoebe. 2021. “Coming of Age in a New Democracy: How Young Indo-Fijians Navigate Identity and Community.” WCFIA Undergraduate Thesis Conference. Online: Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. Copy at http://www.tinyurl.com/yt8arueb

Abstract:

In this thesis, I investigate how the current generation of Indo-Fijians aged 20–35, who have come of age in a more open and expansive democracy, engages with their community and expresses their ethnic identity. The first chapter lays out the legacy of British colonialism on the political structures in Fiji today, and how this history of colonialism still shapes the social, economic, and cultural currents of Fijian life, thus touching the lives of young Indo-Fijians in multiple spheres. The second chapter explores how these young adults enact their membership in the Indo-Fijian community by engaging in traditional religious rituals, while simultaneously living more secular lives than earlier generations. The third chapter investigates how the forces of Western social media and global culture have been incorporated by young Indo-Fijian adults and, in light of these influences, how they navigate their identities and commitments to the Indo-Fijian community.

See also: 2021