On Hierarchy and Stratification in Polynesia

Abstract

In this article I will discuss the shifting roles of traditional hierarchy and its relationship to modern state structure in Fiji, Western Samoa and the Kingdom of Tonga. The interesting interplay of different levels of social integration has unfolded in conflicting ways in actual social practice. The combination of individualistic ideologies and democracy with traditional chiefly authority in these Pacific societies illuminates the complex ways in which authority and hierarchy are structurally linked, ways which in turn provide insights into the modes whereby hierarchy operates in present day social and political contexts.   Keywords: chieftaincy, democracy, Fiji, hierarchy, politics, Tonga, Western Samoa