Associate Professor Jenny Bryant-Tokalau

BA, PGDipArts (Otago), MA (UPNG), PhD (Monash)
Associate Professor (Appointed 2007)
Chair, Post Graduate Programme

Contact details

Room Richardson South Tower, Rm 4S8
Phone 64 3 479 3974

Email jenny.bryant-tokalau@otago.ac.nz

Please visit the Pacific Islands Studies website

Research

Jenny is currently researching the provenance and future security of the Qoliqoli (foreshore) and informal settlement and land issues in Fiji. She is continuing work on: Poverty, hardship and environmental governance in the Pacific; Urban housing and poverty in the Pacific; Urban environmental degradation in the Pacific; Impacts of natural disasters on Pacific urban dwellers.

Jenny will be on Research and Study Leave (RSL) from July 2012-February 2013.

Teaching

Supervision

Current

Tui Clery - PhD - Pacific Islands Studies - The Art of Peace: towards understanding of the relationship between peace and performance in Fiji (submitted February 2012)
Megan Ellison - PhD - Māori Studies - Te Hū o Moho: What were the contributing factors to language death in the Southern Māori village of Otākou
Lisa Williams-Lahari - MA - Pacific Islands Studies - Truth, duty and the Pacific Way: Challenges facing Pacific women in journalism
Seth Gorrie - MSc - Geography – Mai le Tunoa I le Masina – from Umu to Machine: untangling the scientific and cultural aspects of renewable energy.
Faapopo Tupolo-Tauaanae - MIndS – The role of pastors’ schools in the schooling of Samoan children
Nina Kirifi-Alai – MIndS – History of the University of Otago’s Pacific Islands Centre
Jacqueline Fa'amatuaina – MIndS – Climate law in the Pacific: Interpreting the principle of common but differentiated responsibility
Melanie Phillips - MIndS – The changes to Fijian chiefly power in the period prior to colonial rule.

Past

Nicole McCrossin (with Janet Stephenson) - MA - Indigenous Studies - Review of Legal and Procedural Framework for Māori Involvement in Resource Management and Planning in Aotearoa (2011)
Mara Hosoda - MA - Pacific Studies - Hawaiian, Māori and Samoan performing arts as education (2010)
Marieke Blondet (with Jacqui Leckie) - PhD in Anthropology - National park of American Samoa: Conservation area and local population in the Islands of American Samoa (2009) (Co-tutelle with EHSS Paris)
Talai Mapusua - MIndS - Role of the Faletua in the Samoan church (2008-9)
Regina Buninaang-Mendoza - MIndS - The Banaue Rice Terraces: A window into Ifugao's Indigenous Way of Farming (2007-8)
Agustin Panganiban - MIndS - Sagada Traditional Forestry Resource Management (2007-8)
Emma Kate Lynch - MA (Geography) - Type 2 diabetes amongst Tokelau Islanders (With Tony Binns) (2007-8)
Nicole McCrossin - BA (Hons) (Anthropology) - Zapaturismo: Exploring the Zapatista Movement’s Relationships with Tourism (2007)
Rachel Honeychurch - 480 Dissertation (Anthropology) - Putting it Off: Why New Zealand Women are Choosing to delay Motherhood (With Dr Annabel Cooper) (2007)
Casimir MacGregor - MA (Anthropology) - Social Exclusion in Aranui, Christchurch (2005)
Alexia Black - 480 Dissertation (Anthropology) - Squatting in Fiji (2005)
Catherine Buck - 480 Dissertation (Anthropology) - Tongan Music and the Pacific Festival of Arts (2005)
Aliti Vunisea - MA (Geography) - Women and Fishing in Fiji (With Professor Randolph Thaman) (1989)
Tahir Munshi - MA (Geography) - Geographical Education in Fiji (With Professor W.C. Clarke) (1986)
University of the South Pacific (1983-1996) - supervised around 10 400-level research papers including those on Rotuman Island Development, Population and Development, Informal Sector, Health and Literacy in Urban Fijian villages, Impact of Industrialisation on Villages
At Monash University and the University of Papua New Guinea (1975-1980) - joint supervisor for a number of post-graduate theses including those on Aboriginal Housing in New South Wales, The Role of Women in the Informal Sector, and Rural village Development

Research Grants and Awards

2011-2012 – University of Otago Research Grant – 'Urban squatters in the Fij Qoliqoli'
2011-2012 – Humanities Research Grants – 'Poverty in Fiji' – film project
2007-2008 – University of Otago Research Grant - 'Measuring Trust in the Pacific' (with David Fielding and Stephen Knowles - Economics)
2006 – University of Otago Research Grant - 'Making Poverty History; global poverty strategies and their appropriateness to the Pacific'
2005 – Humanities Research Grant - 'Environmental Governance in the Pacific: Anthropological Notions of the Gifting of Aid'
2005 – Research Cluster on Poverty and Development. Research project on 'Poverty, Inequality and Development' (contributing researcher)
2005 – Research Cluster on History, Health and Hybridity. Research Project on 'History, Health and Hybridity in the Pacific'. (contributing researcher)

Research Clusters

Pacific Studies Research Cluster - joint co-ordinator with Professor Glenn Summerhayes
Poverty, Inequality and Development Research Cluster - member

Distinctions

Overseas Visiting Scholarship, St Johns College, University of Cambridge, Lenten Term (January-April 2010)

International Boards

Member, Governing Board, Commonwealth Human Ecology Council, London (1992-2010)
Member, Scientific Committee for Comparative Research on Poverty (CROP), International Social Science Council (1998-2003)
Member, Poverty Advisory Committee, Government of Fiji (1995-1997)

Major Research Outputs

Books, Working Papers and Reports

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2010). The Fijian Qoliqoli and Urban Squatting in Fiji: Righting an Historical Wrong? Alfred Deakin Research Institute, Working Paper No.12

Bryant-Tokalau, J and Vakaoti, P. (2010). An Oceanic Imagination: A Tribute to the Life and Mind of 'Epeli Hau'ofa. Online. http://www.otago.ac.nz/humanities/research/clusters/pacific/epeli_tribute.html

Anae M, Fairbairn-Dunlop P, Bryant-Tokalau J, Gegeo D, Waring M, Cave J, Scott K. (2008). Building Pacific Research Capacity and Scholarship in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Fono. Final Report, 16-18th April, University of Auckland

Clarke, W.C. (2007). Speaking of Home; Poetic Reflections on the Pacific Islands Division of Humanities, University of Otago, Dunedin. (J. Bryant-Tokalau, editor) ISBN 978 0 47312192-1

Bryant-Tokalau, J and Frazer, I. (eds). (2006). Redefining the Pacific? Regionalism, Past, Present and Future. The International Political Economy of New Regionalisms SeriesAshgate Press: London ISBN 0 7546 1671 1, October 2006

Kumar, M and Bryant-Tokalau, J. (eds.) (2004). Environment and Sustainable Development. Special Issue of Fijian Studies: A Journal of Contemporary Fiji. Volume 2, No 1. May. ISSN 1728-7456

Bryant, J. J. and Kumarasuriyar, M. (1994) Review of Human Settlements in Pacific Atoll Nations: Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Kiribati, and Tuvalu. 208 pp + appendices. United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)/UNDP, Nairobi. ISBN 92 1 1312752

Bryant, J.J. (1993). Urban Poverty and the Environment in the South Pacific. University of New England, Geography and Planning: Armidale. 105pp + figs. ISBN 1 86389 017 3.

Apthorpe, R., Mar, P., Bryant, J. and Ratu, T.,(eds.). (1993). Making Urban Policy and Making it Work: Training in Housing and Urban Development Readings for Workshop in Suva on Urban Policy. The Centre for Pacific Studies, University of New South Wales: Sydney. 280pp.

Chandra, R. and Bryant, J. (eds) (1990). Population of Fiji. Population Monograph No.1, South Pacific Commission: Noumea. 258pp ISBN: 982 203 0460

Bryant, J.J. (1984). Environmental Education and Training in the South Pacific Environmental Studies Report No. 22. Institute of Natural Resources and Institute of Education. University of the South Pacific: Suva. 39pp. Noumea.

Book Chapters

Bryant-Tokalau, J., and J. Campbell. (2012 - in press). 'Coping with floods in urban Fiji: responses and resilience of the poor'. In Jurriens, E. (ed.). Disaster Relief in the Asia Pacific Region: Capacity Building and Community Resilience

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2009). 'Trade, aid or what? Reflections on Development and Security'. In Leckie, J.V. (ed.). Development in an Insecure and Gendered World: The Relevance of the Millennium Goals. London: Ashgate, pp. 227-238.

Frazer, I and Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2006). 'Introduction: The Uncertain Future of Pacific Regionalism'. In Bryant-Tokalau, J and Frazer, I. (eds). Redefining the Pacific? Regionalism, Past, Present and Future. London: SeriesAshgate Press, pp. 1-24.

Frazer, I and Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2006). 'Epilogue: future Uncertain?' In Bryant-Tokalau, J and Frazer, I. (eds).Redefining the Pacific? Regionalism, Past, Present and Future. London: SeriesAshgate Press, pp. 173-176.

Bryant-Tokalau, J.J. (1999). 'The Impact of Human Settlements on Marine/Coastal Ecosystems in the Tropical Pacific'. In Eldredge, L, Maragos, J et.al (eds) Marine and Coastal in the Tropical Islands Pacific Region. Vol.2. Population, Development and Conservation Priorities. Honolulu: Program on Environment, East-West Center and Pacific Science Association, pp. 215-233.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (1995). 'Memories'. In Holland, P., Kidd, H., and R. Welch (eds). From Mellor to Hocken: Fifty Years of Geography at the University of Otago. Dunedin: Department of Geography, University of Otago, pp. 99-103.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (1993). 'What future Pacific cities? The challenge in managing urban environments'. In E.W. Waddell and P. Nunn (eds.) The Margin Fades. Geographical Itineraries in a World of Islands. Suva: Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific, pp 151-165.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (1992). 'Global power games or community realities?' In V. Naidu, E.W. Waddell and E. Hau’ofa (eds) Pacific Futures: Debating Our Sea of Islands. Suva: SSED, University of the South Pacific.

Bryant, J. (1992). 'The Pacific Islands: Background to the Region'. In The Far East and Australasia 1992 23rd Edition, London: Europa Publications, pp. 680-684.

Bryant, J. (1990). 'The acceptable face of self-help housing: subletting in Fiji squatter settlements - exploitation or survival strategy?' In Drakakis-Smith, D.W. (ed.) Economic Growth and Urbanisation in Developing Areas London: Routledge, pp. 171-195.

Bryant, J. (1990). 'Rotuman migration and development: a response to uneven development'. In Connell, J. (ed.) Migration and Development in the South Pacific. Canberra: National Centre for Development Studies, The Australian National University, pp. 136-150.

Bryant, J. (1990). 'Self-help housing in Fiji: Squatter housing and informal employment as responses to poverty'. In Potter, R. and Salau, A. (eds.) Cities and Development in the Third World. London: Mansell Publishing, pp. 86-99.

Bryant, J. and Khan, F. (1990). 'Population and Housing in Fiji'. In Chandra, R. and J. Bryant (eds.) Population of Fiji. Noumea: South Pacific Commission, pp. 195-204.

Bryant, J. (1989). 'Rotuman response to uneven development'. In Tolron, F. (ed.) Migrations et Identite. Noumea: Association CORAIL, Universite Francaise du Pacifique, pp 65-70.

Bryant, J. (1982). 'The Robinvale Community'. In E.A. Young and E.K. Fisk (eds.). Town Populations Volume 2 of The Aboriginal Component in the Australian Economy. Canberra Development Studies Centre, ANU, pp. 27-106.

Bryant, J. (1979). 'Housing for the poor in Papua New Guinea: self-help as the only future'. In R. Jackson, P. Batho and J. Odongo (eds). Urbanisation and its Problems in Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby: UPNG, pp. 318-325.

Keynote addresses

Bryant-Tokalau, J. 2000. The Environment in Crisis or Crisis in the Environment? Keeping Environment on the Agenda in Times of Significant Change. Keynote Address to PINA Asia-Pacific Forum of Environmental Journalists. Joint APFEJ/CEJA Congress 'Climate Change and the Small Island Developing States: the role of environmental journalists'. Nadi, July 24th

Bryant-Tokalau, J. 1998 UNDP, SIDS and Renewable Energy'. Keynote address to Japan/US Workshop on Renewable Energy-Based Rural Electrification in Pacific Island NationsEast-West Center, Honolulu, Hawai'i. October 27th.

Bryant-Tokalau, J.J. 1993 Urban Environmental Degradation in the Pacific. Keynote address to the 20th Waigani Seminar, UPNG, Port Moresby, August

Conference/Seminar presentations

Bryant-Tokalau, J., and Bayliss-Smith, T. (2011). 'Interpreting the qoliqoli: sustenance for Fiji’s urban poor? In session: Imaginative Geographies: Where land and water meet'. Presentation to Royal Geographic Society/ Institute of British Geographers Annual International Conference, London. 31 August – 2 September.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2011). 'Coping with floods in urban Fiji: responses and resilience of the poor’, presentation to 2011 Asia Pacific Seminar Series: Responses to ‘Disaster Relief in the Asia Pacific Region: Capacity Building and Community Resilience’, ADFA, University of New South Wales, Canberra. 30May .

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2010). 'Living in the Qoliqoli: urban squatting on the Fiji foreshore'. Seminar to Center for Pacific Islands Studies & East-West Center Pacific Islands Development Program, University of Hawai`i at Manoa, 20 January.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2009). ‘The Fijian Qoliqoli and Urban Squatting in Fiji: Righting an historical wrong?’ Paper to workshop ”Going Finish”? The Ending of the Colonial Era and the Beginning of Independence in the Nations of Melanesia. Alfred Deakin Research Institute, Geelong Waterfront Campus, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia, 12-13 November.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2009). 'The Fijian Qoliqoli and Urban Squatting in Fiji: what NZAID is not seeing'. New Zealand, Germany and the (Post) Colonial Pacific 16th Annual Conference of the New Zealand Studies Association. Centre for New Zealand Studies, Birbeck, University of London and Institute for English and American Studies, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, 3-5 July.

Commissioned Reports (selected)

Bryant-Tokalau J. (2008). Otago University Response to Kiribati Request for Assistance. Background Paper for Professor Majella Franzmann, PVC Humanities. June, 11pp.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2004). Strategy for Marine Conservation in Fiji Islands Marine Ecoregion Concept Paper for Full Project. Asian Development Bank/WorldWide Fund for Nature USD150,000, 35pp.

Wilson, M, Bryant-Tokalau, J, et. al. (2000). Solomon Islands Fisheries Management and Marine Biodiversity Conservation Project. Government of Solomon Islands Project No. SOI/99/G41 GEF/UNDP/ADB, 89pp.

Bryant-Tokalau, J & Vega, L. (2000). Promoting Sustainability of Renewable Energy Technologies and Renewable Energy Service Companies in Fiji Government of the Republic of Fiji. Project no. FIJ/99/G35 UNDP/GEF. (Project Document finalized 2000). USD740,000, 56pp.

Bryant, J.J. (1994). Urbanization Trends and Coping Strategies: Republic of Fiji. Country Report to World Bank Pacific Islands Urban Services Sector Study on Managing Urban Environmental Sanitation Services in Selected Pacific Island Countries, Washington, 65pp.

Journal Articles (Selected)

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2012 - in press). 'Twenty years on: Poverty and Hardship in Urban Fiji'. Bijdragen 168 – 2/3 August 2012. Bijdragen tot de Taal -, Land – en Volkenkunde: Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2011). 'Artificial and recycled islands in the Pacific: Myths and Mythology of “Plastic Fantastic”'. The Journal of the Polynesian Society. 120(1), pp. 71-86.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2010). 'Living in the Qoliqoli: Urban squatting on the Fiji foreshore'. Pacific Studies, 33(1), pp. 1-20.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2008). 'The Qoliqoli in Town: Traditional Fishing Grounds and Squatting in Urban Fiji'. Indigenous Policy Journal, 19(1) (Spring).

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2008). 'From Summitry to Panarchy: Issues of Global, Regional and Indigenous Environmental Governance in the Pacific'. Borderlands e-Journal: New Spaces in the Humanities.

Frazer, I. & Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2005). 'Redefining the Pacific? Regionalism, past, present and future. The 39th University of Otago Foreign Policy School'. New Zealand International Review, 30(1), pp. 17-21.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (2004). 'Environmental Governance in the Pacific: where are the experts?' Journal for South Pacific Cultural Studies (SITES), 1(2), pp. 24-55.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (1995). 'The myth exploded: urban poverty in the Pacific'. Environment and Urbanization, 7(2), pp. 109-129.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (1994). 'Poverty and Pacific children: some data questions'. Pacific Health Dialogue, 1(2), pp. 19-21.

Bryant-Tokalau, J. (1994). 'Our changing islands: Pacific urban environments'. The Courier (ACP/EU), 144, pp. 80-82.

Bryant, J. (1993). 'Development below? Aspects of urban poverty in the Pacific'. Development Bulletin, 27, pp. 16-20.

Bryant, J. (1992). 'Urban poverty in Fiji: Who are the urban poor?' Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 13(2), pp. 90-102.

Bryant, J. (1991). 'Commentary on H.C. Brookfield 'Issues in Environmental Management and Planning' Regional Development Dialogue, 11(4), pp. 72-75.

Bryant, J. (1989). 'Environmental education in the South Pacific: towards sustainable development'. The Environmentalist, 9(1), pp. 45-54.

Bryant, J. (1988). 'Environment: educating the South Pacific'. The Environmentalist, 8(2), pp. 127-131.

Forster, J.J.H., Bryant, J.J., et. al. (1983) 'Geography . . . the next most important subject'. Journal of Pacific Studies, 9, pp. 133-171.

Bryant, J.J. (1980). 'Robinvale Housing Co-op'. Educational Innovations, 6(2), pp. 14-15.

Bryant, J.J. (1977). 'Urbanization in Papua New Guinea: problems of access to housing and services'. Pacific Viewpoint, 18(1), pp. 43-57.