article

Is Tonga's MIRAB economy sustainable?: a view from the village and a view without it

Pacific studies22 (3/4)Published In 1999 • Pages: 137-166

By: Evans, Mike.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This article is an analysis of the viability and development potential of the Tonga's so-called MIRAB (Migration, Remittances, Aid, and Bureaucracy) economy. From the nation-state perspective, the MIRAB economy dependent on multiple overseas linkages appears to be unsustainable. Also economists argue that remittances from abroad dampen incentive to develop the economy at home. Evans asks whether or not this is true. He argues that as long as the relationships between those at home and those abroad are maintained, along with a strong Tongan transnational identity, then the Tonga economy is viable, and should not be discounted.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Gift giving
Production and supply
Internal trade
Foreign exchange
Visiting and hospitality
Household
Kindreds and ramages
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Tongans
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2006
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Oceania
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Polynesia
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
article
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Ethnologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Ian Skoggard; 2004
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
unknown
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
1956-1992
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Tonga
NotesAdditional notes
Mike Evans
Includes bibliographical references (p.163-166)
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
84643929
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Tongans