22,446 research outputs found
Koe feliuliuaki ‘o e ‘ea: Ko ha palopalema nai eni? Understanding climate change in Tonga
No full textTonga is highly vulnerable to the deleterious impacts of climate change reflecting its geographical, geological and socio-economic characteristics. These impacts have the potential to be a calamity for the environment and the people of Tonga and their livelihoods. Tonga is the first country in the Pacific Islands region to have established a Joint National Action Plan on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management. The primary goal of this plan is to ensure that the communities establish adaptation and mitigation measures to address the impact of climate change. A considerable burden is placed upon the people of Tonga, their knowledge and their understanding of this issue. Literature indicates that the knowledge about climate change should be distributed equally at all levels to enhance effective and successful coping mechanisms for its impacts.
This research was conducted on Tongatapu Island, one of the islands in Tonga that is extremely susceptible to the impacts of climate change. The participants were selected from different locations including coastal villages that are prone to the impacts of climate change as well as less hazard prone areas.
The aim of this research is to unearth the existing knowledge of the people about the issue, their views on the impacts of climate change, and adaptation options they plan to implement in order to reduce the effects of climate change. Understanding of climate change issues varies for a number of reasons. Those who design national policies on climate change may view climate change from a scientific perspective that would be different from how rural villagers might consider the issue.
This research uses the social constructionism approach to identify how this knowledge is constructed and what strategies might be implemented to address the knowledge deficit of the locals
Transnational Tongans:The Profile and Re-integration of Return Migrants
No full textThis study contributes to the 'unwritten chapter' in migration studies, namely transnational return migration, with specific reference to Tongan migrants who have voluntarily returned to live in Tonga. Return migration of transnational Tongans is not 'permanent' as their mobility pre and post-return is characterised by circulation or repeated return rather than staying at 'home'.
In examining the circulation of transnational Tongans, two new forms of return migration are identified -- 'return for career advancement' and 'ancestral return'. These additions to a new typology of return migration represent better the contemporary mobility system of transnational Tongans and suggest a means for addressing 'brain drain' through strengthening the 'Tongan-ness' of the diaspora while simultaneously stimulating economic development in the Kingdom. Despite these positive dimensions of return, re-integration is a 'bumpy' process, and there needs to be a holistic migration strategy if greater numbers in the Tongan diaspora are to return and make their potential contribution to sustainable development in the Island Kingdom
EVALUATION OF MUSCULOSKELETAL COMPLAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH SMARTPHONE USE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND RELATED RISK FACTORS
No full textImplementing critical literacy in a Tongan bilingual classroom
No full textThis report describes a research study which trialled a unit of work designed for senior high school levels in a Tongan bilingual classroom. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the appropriateness and possible benefits of using critical literacy as a teaching strategy to teach literature in bilingual classrooms in Tonga. A critical literacy approach is relatively new in Tonga, so the study set out to test if this approach would contribute to making the teaching of English more innovative and student-centred. The methodology used in this study was a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods within an action research paradigm. One action research cycle spanned three months for trialling of the study unit and for collecting data. A class of thirty-four students from one Form Six class participated in this study, along with their English teacher as a participant observer. Eleven teachers of English from the same school also participated in interviews for further data collection. I took the role of teacher-researcher. In addition to teaching the study unit, I conducted interviews with teachers and students for further data-gathering. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data indicated that both participating teachers and students identified that a critical literacy approach to teaching of English as a subject was highly appropriate to use in Tongan classrooms. Teachers identified resources to be a detriment to the successful implementation of a critical literacy approach. While this concern is acknowledged as a long-term one, in the short-term, existing available resources can still be of practical use. The study was conducted under a bilingual program that might be viewed by researchers on bilingual education as a subtractive bilingual program. Findings related to students‟ ability in both Tongan and English language signified a very low competence in these two languages. But findings related to bilingual teaching indicated a mismatch between the newly adopted bilingual curriculum in Tonga and Tongan English teachers‟ perceptions of bilingual education. It was shown in this study that this mismatch stemmed from a lack of teacher understanding of bilingual education. A couple of pedagogical issues were recommended in order to clear up this misunderstanding. The report concludes with the researcher‟s recommendations for the explicit inclusion of critical literacy in the Tonga Language curriculum. Parental involvement and teachers training are two issues to address in order to achieve a successful implementation of the newly adopted bilingual curriculum where a paradigm shift in teaching is necessary. Recommendations for further research are also included
Economic Issues in the Fisheries Sector of Tonga
No full textThere are certain characteristics of island economies that are considered hindrances to their development. For example, island economies often lack the economies of scale necessary for enhanced economic development and are too remotely located from the worlds major international financial and trading centres to fully exploit the marketing and trading opportunities that are available. However, for island economies in the South Pacific, the sea also offers great opportunities for sustained economic development. The relative abundance and accessibility of fisheries resources means that if these resources are properly managed and exploited, island economies have much potential for social and economic development. At the same time, the sea provides a significant means of basic livelihood for many rural communities in these Island countries. A major and enduring challenge is therefore to ensure that island economies in the South Pacific utilise their sea resources for social and economic development without jeopardising their communities basic livelihoods
Experiences of Tongan Women Migrants at Paid Work in New Zealand
No full textThe employment experiences of Tongan women migrants have received little attention in the literature. This study therefore, sought to shed light on the dynamics of their social and economic experiences at paid work in New Zealand. It was guided by the theories of population geographies, feminist geography and postcolonialism. The inter-relationships of these theories provided insights into the influence of migration on these women's identities, ethnicity and gender relations and also how these influence these women's experiences at paid work in New Zealand. The data were drawn from two major sources: i) the New Zealand 2006 population census and ii) in-depth interviews held in Tonga and New Zealand, with greater focus on the interviews.
This study revealed that the Tongan women's decisions for migrating to New Zealand were influenced by social rather than economic incentives. Migration has challenged these women's traditional roles and reconstructed their gender relations. Many are breadwinners yet Tongan born men in New Zealand still predominantly engage in the labour force and have higher personal income. Their experiences at paid work also differ from the New Zealand born Tongan women in New Zealand. These differences reflect the availability of their social networks and their familiarity with the socio-economic systems in New Zealand. They experienced successes and failures at paid work on their way to improving their lives in New Zealand
Hunga Tonga – Hunga Ha'Apai, the Eruption of a Submarine Volcano
No full textsummary:V lednu 2022 došlo k erupci tichomořské sopky Hunga Tonga - Hunga Ha'apai. Důsledky této erupce byly velmi rozmanité a v mnoha ohledech mimořádné. V tomto článku uvedeme, jakým způsobem ovlivnil výbuch chemické složení vyšších vrstev atmosféry a jaký to má vliv na teploty a proudění vzduchu. Popíšeme spektrum vln vznikajících v atmosféře při výbuchu v souvislosti s rychlou změnou tlaku. A v neposlední řadě ukážeme i dopad na tvorbu vln v oceánu
The generalized Liénard polynomial differential systems x'=y,y'= -g(x) - f (x)y with deg g = deg f 1 are not Liouvillian integrable
No full textAgraïments: The second author was supported by Portuguese National Funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia within the project PTDC/MAT/117106/2010 and by CAMGSD (PEst-OE/EEI/LA0009/2013)We prove the nonexistence of Liouvillian first integrals for the generalized Li\'enard polynomial differential systems of the form x' = y, y'=-g(x)-f(x)y, where g(x) and f(x) are arbitrary polynomials such that g = f 1
The re-integration of Tongan postgraduate scholars after study abroad
No full textScholars returning to Tonga after their study go through re-integration. Limited investigation has documented their experiences and the impacts of their new knowledge and skills, both in the workplace and the community. Therefore, it is important that the Tongan society and community, and also the workplaces, are aware of the scholars’ experiences and the challenges they face during the process of re-integration.
This study was conducted with selected returned scholars in the main island of Tongatapu, Tonga. These scholars had secured scholarships funded by foreign agencies and successfully completed overseas postgraduate studies, after which they had returned to Tonga and worked for less than five years. The goal of this research study was to investigate the experiences of returned postgraduate scholars in Tonga. In particular, it focuses on how these scholars utilise their new-found knowledge and skills in the workplace and the community. The scholars’ experiences, including their perspectives and emotions associated with their new knowledge and skills, and specifically the professional usage of their new knowledge and skills in the workplaces, are investigated.
A qualitative approach was employed with semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews for this study. Participants were categorised into two groups: government and non-government groups. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the selected participants from both government and non-government organisations. Focus group interviews were conducted with both government and non-government groups respectively. These interviews were recorded and analysed using codes and themes.
The data generated from these methods demonstrated scholars reporting their experiences, how they were reintegrated both into the workplace and the community, and how their new knowledge and skills had been utilised in both contexts. The data also showed how scholars felt during the re-integration process, the challenges they faced and how they confronted them. The findings of this study suggest that scholars experienced challenges when they returned to Tonga after their study. These challenges fall into particular categories: culture, management, reception and, most importantly, the utilisation of their new-found knowledge and skills. The findings also demonstrate that the scholars were resourceful in accommodating to the needs and demands from both the workplace and the community. Their cultural ways became resources that helped them respond to the challenges in the workplace and the community.
This study also revealed interesting contradictions when it came to scholars’ knowledge and skills. Some scholars were able to utilise their new knowledge and skills in their workplace; however, some scholars were not able to utilise their new knowledge and skills because their new assignments upon arrival did not allow this to take place. As a result, some of the unfortunate scholars felt the need to move career or migrate to find a job that would fit not only their qualification but also the new knowledge and skills they had acquired from their study.
This study has unveiled the returned scholars’ experiences both in the workplace and in the community. This knowledge will make a contribution to the Human Resources Administration, advocating the importance of reintegrating the returning scholars to jobs that allow the utilisation of their new knowledge and skills, thereby therefore contributing to the development of Tonga
Pensar la violencia desde G. Deleuze
No full textEl artículo reflexiona sobre el fenómeno de la violencia en nuestras sociedades tardomodernas. En primer lugar, critica la concepción ilustrada de la violencia, según la cual ésta es siempre una desviación de la razón, es decir, una "sinrazón". En segundo lugar, el autor sostiene que la comprensión de la violencia debe hacerse desde el "pensamiento de la diferencia". Desde esta última perspectiva, la violencia es el resultado del imperio de la "lógica oposicional" o "lógica binaria", la cual sustituye a la relación diferencial de carácter rizomático. Se recurre, fundamentalmente, al pensamiento de G. Deleuze, matizando el fenómeno de la violencia como "necedad", "geometría de Estado" e "incapacidad para ser afectado".The article reflects on the phenomenon of violence in our late modern societies. First, criticizes the Enlightenment conception of violence, that it is always a deviation of reason, ie a "unreason". Secondly, the author argues that the understanding of violence must be from the "thought of difference". From the latter perspective, violence is the result of the rule of "oppositional logic" or "binary logic" which replaces the differential relation of rhizomatic character. It basically resorts to thoughts of G. Deleuze, qualifying the phenomenon of violence as "stupidity", "geometry of State" and "incapacity to be affected"
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