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
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. Advance online publication. 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
Commissioned Report for External Body
Vakaoti, P. (2014). Young people & democratic participation in Fiji. Commissioned by Citizen's Constitutional Forum. Suva, Fiji: Citizen's Constitutional Forum. 80p.
Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report
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.
Other Research Output
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
Authored 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
Chapter in Book - Research
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. (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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Journal - Research Article
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. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2020.1861033
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
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
Vakaoti, P. (2010). Church-based service provision for street-frequenting young men in Suva, Fiji. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 22(4), 5-11.
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
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
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 - Edited volume of conference proceedings
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
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
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.
