aptc fiji cultural awareness workshop this is it
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Cultural Awareness - FijiTRANSCRIPT
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APTC CROSS CULTURAL AWARENESS WORKSHOP
L E A R N E R S ’ W O R K B O O K
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Bula, Welcome to the Fijian Experience!
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Overview
About Fiji Background of this workshop A look at history & Culture of the Fiji Islands Pre-history The Melanesians/Pictures The Polynesians/Pictures The King of Tonga Fiji Culture, Religion & the Fijian Language Fijian Cultural Environment Analysis of iTaukei & Fiji Indian Business System Traditions & Ceremonies The Fijian Language Analysis of Fijian Business Style as per Theoretical Framework New Business Example of Cultural Insensitivity & Attuning In-Class Activity Conclusion
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About Fiji
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• Location: Fiji is situated in the centre of the South Pacific Ocean, on the
International Dateline. It has a total landmass of about 18,000 square kilometers.
Its two main islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu
• Capital: Suva
• Population - Approx . 850,000. (60% people dwell in rural areas and 40% in the
cities).
• Currency: Fijian Dollar
• Government: Republican
• Ethnic Groups: Fijians (57%) Indians (37%) plus Caucasian, Chinese & other
Pacific Islanders and persons of mixed race.
• Religion: Christianity (52%), Hinduism (38%), Muslim (8%), Others (2%)
• Language: English is the official language. However people also speak Fijian and
Hindi
• Main Industries: Tourism, Sugar, Fishing & Forestry
• Main Source of Income: Tourism & Sugar Industries
About Fiji….
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BACKGROUND OF THIS WORKSHOP
Fiji is a multiracial country where the culture and heritage is dynamic and strong . It
constitutes of two major ethnic groups which are the iTaukei (indigenous Fijians) and Fiji-
Indians and since both have distinctive cultures and styles this workshop will analyze the cultural, language and business aspects of
both.
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A look at the history and culture of the Fiji Islands
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Pre-History
The exact origins of the first inhabitants of the islands of Fiji remain a mystery, since the Fijians had no written language and relied on memory and story telling for their history. It is most commonly accepted that the first settlers arrived around 1500B.C.
What is clear, however; is that Fiji was settled by two distinct races, the Polynesian and Melanesian races.
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The Melanesians…
The Melanesian people made their way to Fiji from the islands of Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the eastern Solomon islands.
These settlers were dark skinned with many physical characteristics of the Negro race.
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Nee-Vanuatu and Kanaks
Nee-Vanuatu
Kanaks
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…the Melanesian race of the pacific
Solomon Islanders
Papua New Guineans
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A village in the foot hills of the Namosi Plateau, shows the Fijian bures very similar to Vanuatu leaf haus
Indigenous Fijians (iTaukei)
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The Polynesians…
The other settlers of the islands of Fiji were taller, lighter skinned and with straighter soft hair. They are often referred to as the Lapita people, named for an area in New Caledonia where large deposits of their distinctive form of pottery were found.
Lapita pottery, marked by geometric designs formed by stamping the unfired clay with a tooth-like implement have been found from New Guinea eastward to Samoa.
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Scholars debate which race arrived first?
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A large portion of the Lapita people were forced, or chose to leave the islands of Fiji for places further east – Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii
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The King of Tonga – one of the most influential figures that changed the course of time for the Fijians
Enele Ma’afu – King of Tonga
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Udre Udre– the last known Cannibal
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…legend has it he ate 872 people
His tomb can be seen on your way to Rakiraki town junctionAPTC School of Hospitality and Community Services
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..the dark days in Fiji. Before Cession
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The Culture
The Fijians are pretty easy-going people When invited to the village be mindful
to wear modest clothingTake off your hat (wearing one is a sign
of being disrespectful)Leave your shoes outside the door when
entering a homeKeep in mind its insulting to touch
someone's head
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EXAMPLE OF CULTURAL INSENSITIVITY21
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EXAMPLE OF ATTUNING TO LOCAL CULTURE
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McDonalds (Fiji) is mindful of the fact that Hindus do not consume beef products and that Muslims are mindful of having their meat ‘Halal’ (meat prepared as per Islamic law) therefore it caters to both by using 100% vegetarian oil for its fries and having vegetarian meals and using Halal meat. McDonalds Fiji is Halal Certified.APTC School of Hospitality and Community Services
Stereotyping23
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In-Class Activity
I invite you to think of and relate to either a stereotype prevalent in your country or cultural setting or relate to an experience whereby an overseas based company exhibited cultural insensitivity to the host country.
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Fijian Cultural Environment
Cultural Aspects iTaukei Fiji-IndiansReligion Christians Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, South Indians
Food Food is mostly boiled/steamed. Typically like Asian-Indian food. However Beef and Pork are not consumed.
Traditional Dressing
‘Sulu’ (worn like a sarong). Both men and women wear this.
‘Sari’ or ‘Salwaar Kameez’ are worn by women. Men wear similar styled Indian outfits.
These are worn mostly during traditional ceremonies or religious occasions. Otherwise casual clothing is widely accepted in cities and town. Skimpy attire is forbidden by both cultural groups especially in the villages and rural setting as its not deemed appropriate
Taboo Both groups do not express their feelings in public – couples do not hold hands or display affection in public. They tend to be private about their relationships.
Respect of elders is prevalent.
Sexuality is not openly discussed especially amongst the older generation. The younger generation however is more understanding and accepting.
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Fijian Cultural Environment …Cont’d
Cultural Aspects
iTaukei Fiji-IndiansMannerisms Indigenous Fijians (iTaukei) are particular about and are offended if they are
touched on their head . Pointing and standing with hands on hips is considered rude.
Negotiations Fijians are too polite and thus are hesitant to ask for clarifications or ask questions – thinking it is rude or offensive. For successful negotiation it is important that the party develops a rapport with them. Also due to their social structure they normally refer to someone in higher authority in their social structure to make the decision.
Fiji-Indians are a little more direct and thus come to a conclusion faster.
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Business Culture in Fiji
Aspects Public Sector Private SectorWork pace Slow – Even working hours is a little
lesser than private organizationsFast – competition is rife and staff have targets to meet so work pace is faster
Timeliness Not so strictly observed – its ok to procrastinate.
More importance given and deadlines and strictly adhered to.
Bureaucracy High – because of the organization structure – lots of reporting
Low – time is not wasted in bureaucracies as ‘time is money’
Dressing Smart casual is accepted however on official occasions formal dressing is required
Dress code is more formal.
Workforce 90% of the workforce are iTaukei 92% of the workforce are Fiji Indians
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Fiji Business Culture…cont’d
Socializing Exchange of Gifts
Use of Titles/Surnames
National Drink Kava is a norm during official ceremonies and refusal to drink a bowl is seen offensive by the iTaukei.
Not a widely accepted business practice. New legal requirement is that all gifts are to be declared by persons to their organizations. This is strictly followed in the public sector.
Generally in business people prefer to be called by their first names rather than using Mr/Mrs/Ms. However in formal correspondence formal titles are used. For iTaukei they have titles such as Ratu (for men of chiefly status) and Adi (pronounced Aan-Dee – for iTaikei women of chiefly status) which is always used when addressing them.
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Dimension iTaukei Style Fiji-Indian StyleRules or Relationship?? iTaukei value relationships and
place a lot of emphasis on building and maintaining relationships. They need to establish a rapport in order to understand the other party.
Similarly Indians too value relationships a little more than rules and place importance on trust.
Displaying of Emotions iTaukei do not display their emotions openly but prefer to stay calm and quiet. They are shy and reserved so much so that they consider it rude to ask for clarifications.
Indians will speak out and not be quite when the need arises however they won’t be outright confrontational .
Private Vs. Working Life
iTaukei and Indians both don’t keep their work and personal lives distinctly apart. Work and personal lives both go hand in hand. Discussions about family at work and vice versa is quite common.
Analysis of iTaukei and Fiji-Indian Business Styles
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Analysis of iTaukei and Fiji-Indian Business Styles….Cont’d
Dimension iTaukei Style Fiji-Indian StylePersonal Achievement vs. Status in society
• iTaukei place a lot of importance on their societal and hierarchal standing in society.
• Chiefs would be given prominence automatically due to their social status.
• Fiji-Indians are more Achievement oriented
• They value and place emphasis on hard work and owe their achievements through their education and parents hard work
• They are highly competitive.
Function as Individuals or as a Group
• iTaukei believe in communitarianism as they like to consult within their groups
• However; they leave decisions to the person in authority to make recommendation.
• Fiji-Indians are more individualists as they like to operate individually and make their own decisions.
• They rally behind community work and participate assiduously
Past, Present or Future Oriented • iTaukei are more focused on the present – they live their lives basically on a day to day basis.
• Fiji-Indians are more future oriented – most of their decision looks at how it would impact their future plans and aspirations.
Internal Vs. External Control(Do we control our working environment or are we controlled by it)
Both iTaukei and Fiji-Indians blend into the existing working environment. They generally work harmoniously and are accommodative and accepting on the existing environment.
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Traditions and Ceremonies
• Yaqona: more commonly referred to as Kava - Fijis’ traditional ceremonial drink.
• Its made from the pulverised roots of a local pepper plant, mixed with water and consumed from a communal coconut shell bowl/cup (bilo).
• You will be asked to sit on the floor as the kava is being prepared in a tanoa bowl.
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TABUA(Tambua) – Whales Tooth
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Yaqona Ceremony
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Communal Cup (Bilo)
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Sevusevu – A Village Visit
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The Yaqona root
Ensure that the yaqona root is presented as a gift.APTC School of Hospitality and Community Services
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Presenting a sevusevu (gift). Your respect for their customs and traditions will not only make you a welcome guest in their villages & homes, but add a dimension to your stay.
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Roqoroqo (Rongorongo)/Babyshower
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Reguregu (Condolence Gathering)
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The Meke - music is woven into the fabric of Fiji and the meke embraces traditional song and dance to tell legends, love
stories, history and spirits of the islands
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…Vakatara – the Orchestra
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Preparing the Hot Stones
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Vilavila I Revo – the Fire Walkers of Beqa
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…a gift from their traditional God
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Religion – Na Lotu
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The Fijian Language – Na Vosa Vakaviti
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One of the main reasons many visitors from English- speaking world find Fiji a congenial place to visit is that majority of the local people speak English. However; if you wish to develop a better understanding of the Fijian people and their culture; then learning a few Fijian words and everyday phrases will help you get around and truly enjoy the world class Fijian Hospitality.
PronunciationFijian pronunciation isn’t difficult for the English speaker. The standard Fijian alphabet uses all the English letters except ‘x’. The letters “h” and ‘z’ are used as borrowed words.
The Fijians’ five vowels are pronounced much as they are in languages such as Spanish, German and Italian.
a as in fathere as in beti as in Indiao as in orchestrau flute
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The Fijian Language – Na Vosa Vakaviti…Cont’d
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Vowels have both short and long variants, with the long vowel having a significantly longer sound that changes the entire meaning of the word. An approximate English equivalent is the difference between the final vowel sound in “icy” and “I see” So to convey the correct meaning of a word it’s important that the vowel length is taken into account in your pronunciation.
E.g. mama means ‘a ring’Mamaa means ‘chew it’Maamaa means ‘light’ (in weight)
Most consonants are pronounced as they are in English, but there are a few differences you need to be aware of:
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The Fijian Language
The Fijian language does have a few idiosyncrasies in terms of pronunciation, however; so keep in mind that the letter “a” is pronounced ‘ah’ as in father.
Any word with a “d” has an unwritten ‘n’ in front of it –e.g. Nadi is pronounced Nandi
Put an ‘m’ before the “b” as in Tabu – Tambu (taboo)
‘c’ is pronounced “th” as in Moce – Mo-they (goodbye)
‘g’ is pronounced “ng”- as in Running
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Cont’d.
“q” is ‘g’ – as in GoodThe letter ‘r’ is rolled as in SpanishIn Fijian words, each vowel is given its
full weight and never shortened, skipped or slurred.
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Useful Fijian Phrases
English vaka-Viti (Fijian)
Welcome Bula
Hello Bula (inf) Drau bula (dl) Dou bula (pl) Nibula (mp)
How are you? Vacava tiko?
Long-time no see Sa dede da sega ni sota
What's your name?My name is ...
O cei na yacamu(ni)?
Na yacaqu o ...
Where are you from?I'm from ...
O ni lako mai vei? O kemuni mai vei?
O yau mai ...
Pleased to meet you Ia (ni) bula
Good morning Yadra, Ni sa yadra
Good afternoon/evening Bula, Ni sa Bula
Good night/Goodbye Moce, Ni sa moce
Guide to abbreviations: inf = informal, frm = formal, sg = singular (to one person), dl = dual (to two people), pl = plural (to three or more people), mp = many people (to a large group of people)
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Useful Fijian Phrases…Cont’d
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English Vaka-Viti (Fijian)
Good luck Vanuinui vinaka
Cheers/Good health! Bula!
Have a nice day Vanuinui vinaka ki na siga ni kua
Bon appetit Da kana!
Bon voyage Vanuinui vinaka e nomu volau
I don't understand Au sega ni taura rawa
Could you speak more slowly please? Vosa mada vakamālua?
Could you repeat that? Tukuna tale mada
Please write it down Kerekere, mo ni vola
Do you speak Fijian?I speak little Fijian
O(nī) kilā na vosa vakaviti?
Au kilā vakalailai na vosa vakaviti
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Useful Fijian Phrases…Cont’d
English Vaka-Viti (Fijian)
Do you speak English? O(nī) vosa vakavālagi?
How do you say ... in Fijian? Na cava na kena vosa vakaviti ni ...?
Pardon (what did you say?) Ō?
Excuse me Au lako mada yani (to get past)
How much is this? E vica na kena i-sau?
Sorry(Nī) vosota sara / (Nī) vosoti au (general
Tulou / Jilou (when invading space)
Please Yalo vinaka
Thank you Vinaka, Vinaka vaka levu
Where's the toilet? E vei na vale-lailai?
This gentleman/ladywill pay for everything Na turaga/marama oqo e na sauma taucoko
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Useful Fijian Phrases…Cont’d
English Vaka-Viti (Fijian)
Would you like todance with me? Ko via meke kei au?
I love you Au domoni iko / Au lomani iko
Get well soon Nuitaka ni ko na vabulabula totolo
Leave me alone! Biuti au tu madaga!
Help!Fire!Stop!Kere veivuke!
Kama!Kele!
Call the police! Qirita na ovisa!
Merry Christmasand Happy New YearMe Nomuni na marau ni siga ni sucu kei na tawase
ni yabaki vou
Happy Easter Vanuinui vinaka ni Siga ni Mate
Happy Birthday Vanuinui vinaka ki na nomu siga ni sucu
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Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed the cultural experience of Fiji and taken note of the cultural and business etiquettes prevalent here. The uniqueness of the Fijian experience is the peaceful coexistence of the two major ethnics groups and the acceptance and adaptation to both cultures with the other minor ethnic groups. This has culminated in a modern Fijian lifestyle whereby both ethnic groups have adopted to each other’s dressing styles, cooking methods, religion etc. Intermarriages are also common now. The new generation of Fijians are educated and thus are in a position to make better informed choices and thus are more mindful and accepting of the new lifestyles and business environment. “Overtime, cultures evolve as societies adapt to transitions in their external and internal environments and relationships” (Deresky, 2008).
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Acknowledgements:
Evelyn Maharaj Lal – Material & research on Fijian Business Culture.
Dr. Asinate Kedrayate – Dept. of Sociology, University of the South Pacific
Bureau of Statistics – Fiji GovernmentDr. Apolonia Tamata – Fijian
Culture/Historian
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www.countrycodes.boomja.comwww.fijigov.fjwww.ftib.org.fjwww.jasons.com/fiji/fijian-culturewww.munroleyslaw.comwww.pitic.orgwww.swyaa.orgThe Fiji Museum – Archives unitwww.everyculture.comwww.justpacific.com/fiji/fijiphotos
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VINAKA!
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