Associate Professor Patrick Vakaoti, Our people, Sociology, Gender Studies and Criminology, University of Otago, New Zealand

Vakaoti MA (S Pac) PhD (Qld)

Associate Professor in Sociology

Contact details

Room 5C18, Richardson Building
Tel +64 3 4793074
email patrick.vakaoti@otago.ac.nz

Patrick is interested in sociological and community development work with young people. He researches in Fiji and the Pacific region exploring youth issues like street-frequenting and political participation. His other interests include child protection and indigenous community development. Patrick’s work extends to consultancy research where he has worked with organisations like UNICEF Pacific, Pacific Leadership Programme (DFAT) and the Pacific Community.

Teaching

I coordinate and teach:
SOCI 204: Special Topic: Young People and Society
SOCI 402: Advanced Sociological Theory

I teach sections of:
PACI 101: Pacific Societies
SOCI 103: Crime, Deviance and Social Transformation
CRIM 201: Crime, Justice and Society
SOWK 304: Kaupapa Maori and Indigenous Approaches to Social Work

Postgraduate supervision

Children and young people’s participation
Street-frequenting youth
Community development
Pacific social work

Current and recent students

Nicola Liebergreen, PhD (co-supervisor)

Exploring how young Niueans use online technologies to negotiate intimacy in romantic relationships

Monique Harvey MA, (co-supervisor)

The daily life of being a teenage parent

Merle Peterson, MA (supervisor)

An investigation into the cultural influences of criminality within the Cook Island Māori population

Kimberly Tuitoga, MA (co-supervisor)

Voices of parents: Pacific parents' views on the role of connectedness and teenagers' wellbeing

Joanna Chin, PhD (co-supervisor)

Framing Poverty in Singapore

Kakau Foliaki, PhD (co-supervisor)

Understanding energy cultures profile for Tonga’s residential sector: implications for effective energy efficiency policy

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Publications

Ratuva, S., Crichton-Hill, Y., Ross, T., Basu, A., Vakaoti, P., & Martin-Neuninger, R. (2021). Integrated social protection and COVID-19: Rethinking Pacific community responses in Aotearoa. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 51(S1), S37-S54. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2020.1861033

Vakaoti, P. (2019). Young people's constitutional submission in Fiji: opportunities and challenges. In H. Cuervo & A. Miranda (Eds.), Youth, inequality and social change in the global south. (pp. 239-254). Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-3750-5_16

Vakaoti, P. (2018). Street-frequenting young people in Fiji: Theory and practice. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 161p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-63079-3

Vakaoti, P. (2017). Young political aspirants in the Fiji 2014 elections: Motivations and experiences. Pacific Dynamics, 1(1), 103-118. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10092/13643

Vakaoti, P. (2017). Young people’s participation in Fiji: Understanding conceptualizations and experiences. Journal of Youth Studies, 20(6), 697-712. doi: 10.1080/13676261.2016.1260695

Journal - Research Article

Chapter in Book - Research

Vakaoti, P. (2018). Street-frequenting young people in Fiji: Theory and practice. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 161p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-63079-3

Authored Book - Research

Vakaoti, P. (2017). Young political aspirants in the Fiji 2014 elections: Motivations and experiences. Pacific Dynamics, 1(1), 103-118. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10092/13643

Journal - Research Article

Vakaoti, P. (2017). Young people’s participation in Fiji: Understanding conceptualizations and experiences. Journal of Youth Studies, 20(6), 697-712. doi: 10.1080/13676261.2016.1260695

Journal - Research Article

Vakaoti, P. (2016). Fiji elections and the youth vote: Token or active citizenship? In S. Ratuva & S. Lawson (Eds.), The people have spoken: The 2014 elections in Fiji. (pp. 157-175). Acton, Australia: Australian National University Press.

Chapter in Book - Research

Vakaoti, P. (2015). Working with groups: Group work with young Pacific Islands people. In K. van Heugten & A. Gibbs (Eds.), Social work for sociologists: Theory and practice. (pp. 85-102). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Chapter in Book - Research

Vakaoti, P. (2014). Street-frequenting young men in Suva, Fiji: Beyond the rhetoric – creating partnerships. In P. Fairbairn-Dunlop & E. Coxon (Eds.), Talanoa: Building a Pasifika Research Culture. (pp. 128-141). Wellington, New Zealand: Dunmore.

Chapter in Book - Research

Vakaoti, P. (2013). Young people's participation in Fiji: Merits, challenges and the way forward. Asia Pacific Viewpoint, 54(1), 77-90. doi: 10.1111/apv.12003

Journal - Research Article

Mishra-Vakaoti, V., & Vakaoti, P. (2014). Understanding the 2013 Constitution: A perceptions survey. In S. Fong, R. Tuivaga, B. Dhanasar, B. Tilbury, N. Tillon & S. Smiles (Eds.), Fiji in transition: Towards a sustainable constitutional democracy. (pp. 63-104). Suva, Fiji: Citizens’ Constitutional Forum.

Chapter in Book - Research

Vakaoti, P. (2013). An overview of Pacific community development in New Zealand. In J. Aimers & P. Walker (Eds.), Community development: Insights for practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. (pp. 198-213). Auckland, New Zealand: Dunmore.

Chapter in Book - Research

Vakaoti, P. (2012). Mapping the landscape of young people's participation in Fiji [State, Society & Governance in Melanesia (SSGM) Discussion Paper 2012/6]. Canberra, Australia: Australian National University. 19p.

Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report

Vakaoti, P. (2010). Church-based service provision for street-frequenting young men in Suva, Fiji. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 22(4), 5-11.

Journal - Research Article

Vakaoti, P. (2009). Researching street-frequenting young people in Suva: Ethical considerations and their impacts. Children's Geographies, 7(4), 435-450. doi: 10.1080/14733280903234493

Journal - Research Article

Vakaoti, P. (2014). Young people & democratic participation in Fiji. Commissioned by Citizen's Constitutional Forum. Suva, Fiji: Citizen's Constitutional Forum. 80p.

Commissioned Report for External Body

Finigan, A., Vakaoti, P., Richards, R., Schaaf, M., Colombo, M., Taumoepeau, M., & Moata'ane, L. (Eds.). (2020). Proceedings of the Pacific Postgraduate Symposium: Pacific Voices XVII. Dunedin, New Zealand: Pacific Islands Centre, University of Otago. 48p. Retrieved from https://www.otago.ac.nz/pacific

Conference Contribution - Edited volume of conference proceedings

Vakaoti, P. (2020, June). How are young tertiary students that work faring in the wake of COVID-19. The Big Q, The University of Auckland, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://www.thebigq.org/2020/06/03/how-are-young-tertiary-students-that-work-faring-in-the-wake-of-covid-19

Other Research Output

Finigan, A., Vakaoti, P., Richards, R., & Schaaf, M. (Eds.). (2019). Proceedings of the Pacific Postgraduate Symposium: Pacific Voices XVI. Dunedin, New Zealand: The Pacific Islands Centre, University of Otago. 48p. Retrieved from https://www.otago.ac.nz/pacific

Conference Contribution - Edited volume of conference proceedings

Dawson, M. C., Procter, L., Stringer, R., & Vakaoti, P. (Eds.). (2019). Proceedings of the Sociology, Gender Studies & Criminology, Social & Community Work Postgraduate Symposium III. Dunedin, New Zealand: Sociology, Gender Studies & Criminology Programme, University of Otago. 57p.

Conference Contribution - Edited volume of conference proceedings

Foliaki, K., Stephenson, J., Anderson, B., & Vakaoti, P. (2019). Understanding the energy cultures of Tongan households: Implications for effective energy efficiency policy. In A. Finigan, P. Vakaoti, R. Richards & M. Schaaf (Eds.), Proceedings of the Pacific Postgraduate Symposium: Pacific Voices XVI. (pp. 11). Dunedin, New Zealand: The Pacific Islands Centre, University of Otago. Retrieved from https://www.otago.ac.nz/pacific

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

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