Island mobilities: spatial and social mobility on Ontong Java, Solomon Islands

Like many island people, Ontong Javans are always on the move to and from their gardens or the sea, between islands within the atoll, and to other localities both within and outside Solomon Islands. This article explores the nature of this mobility and the ways in which the spatial mobility of Onton...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geografisk tidsskrift 2012-05, Vol.112 (1), p.52-62
Main Authors: Christensen, Andreas Egelund, Gough, Katherine V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bgi / Prodig
livelihoods
mobility
Oceania
Ontong Java
Other Pacific Ocean islands
remittances
small islands
Solomon Islands
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Like many island people, Ontong Javans are always on the move to and from their gardens or the sea, between islands within the atoll, and to other localities both within and outside Solomon Islands. This article explores the nature of this mobility and the ways in which the spatial mobility of Ontong Javans is linked to their livelihood strategies and to social mobility. Building on both quantitative and qualitative data collected over a period of nine months spent on Ontong Java and in Honiara, it is shown how Ontong Javans are highly mobile on a range of spatial and temporal scales. Mobility is shown to be especially linked to changes in livelihood opportunities, which have varied greatly over the years on Ontong Java, whereas the connection between spatial and social mobility is less apparent. Since extensive mobility practices are an integral part of livelihoods, and islanders have well-established links to relatives and work off the island, they may be in a better position to cope with externally induced changes than is often supposed.
ISSN:0016-7223
1903-2471
1903-2471
DOI:10.1080/00167223.2012.707803