Smith, A (1978) New hebridean co-operatives : an indigenous adaptation of an external model of enterprise in response to economic under privilege. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis, University of Kent. (doi:10.22024/UniKent/01.02.94661) (KAR id:94661)
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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.22024/UniKent/01.02.94661 |
Abstract
Cooperatives in the New Hebrides started late compared to the movements in other South Pacific territories. Once established, their success was
spectacular. I argue that the reasons for this lie in the former domination of the economy by traders and the major commercial houses. The demand for cooperatives arose mainly from the people themselves as a means to break the hold of the traders. Although Western European in origin, the Cooperative Model has proved compatible with indigenous ways. The grassroots nature of the local movement has been the foundation of its
success. Where the people's commitment has been lacking, cooperatives have experienced severe difficulties. The performance of a cooperative depends greatly upon the quality and enthusiasm of its committee and its secretary/storekeeper. Instances are given of cooperative failures on these grounds. Store credit has often been cited as a principal cause of failure of indigenous business. This is not generally supported by the evidence of rural New Hebridean cooperatives. An analysis of expenditure in cooperative stores reveals that the goods in greatest demand are imported foodstuffs and alcohol. Beer is the most popular purchase in licensed cooperatives. Capital equipment forms only a small percentage of purchases. The economic behaviour of cooperative members conforms to a consumer demand oriented model of production. Cash is not required for itself but for what it buys. Production is discontinuous and there is little surplus. Copra supply is affected by numerous variables but foremost are felt wants and the disutility of effort. Chayanov's concept of the Labour-Consumer Balance is used. The conclusion is that cooperative enterprise has adapted successfully to meet New Hebridean needs and provides a basis for the development of the rural economy/
Item Type: | Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)) |
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DOI/Identification number: | 10.22024/UniKent/01.02.94661 |
Additional information: | This thesis has been digitised by EThOS, the British Library digitisation service, for purposes of preservation and dissemination. It was uploaded to KAR on 25 April 2022 in order to hold its content and record within University of Kent systems. It is available Open Access using a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-commercial, No Derivatives (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) licence so that the thesis and its author, can benefit from opportunities for increased readership and citation. This was done in line with University of Kent policies (https://www.kent.ac.uk/is/strategy/docs/Kent%20Open%20Access%20policy.pdf). If you feel that your rights are compromised by open access to this thesis, or if you would like more information about its availability, please contact us at ResearchSupport@kent.ac.uk and we will seriously consider your claim under the terms of our Take-Down Policy (https://www.kent.ac.uk/is/regulations/library/kar-take-down-policy.html). |
Subjects: |
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions |
Divisions: | Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation |
SWORD Depositor: | SWORD Copy |
Depositing User: | SWORD Copy |
Date Deposited: | 24 Jan 2023 15:09 UTC |
Last Modified: | 05 Nov 2024 12:59 UTC |
Resource URI: | https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/94661 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes) |
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