The Brain Drain and Culture Paradox in Samoa

Gillman, Thomas Hessellund

4. term

Development and International Relations, Master

2015

2015-05-23

70

Afhandlingen bygger på forfatterens erfaring med at bo i Samoa og arbejde for FN’s Udviklingsprogram (UNDP). Med et socialkonstruktivistisk udgangspunkt – altså ideen om, at sociale virkeligheder skabes gennem menneskers samspil – undersøges, hvorfor Fa’a Samoa, den samoanske måde at leve på, er så central, og hvordan den påvirkes i en bredere sammenhæng. Samoa har meget høj migration, og det er ofte de veluddannede, der rejser ud. Afhandlingen undersøger, hvordan denne “brain drain” (udvandring af veluddannede) påvirker robustheden i Fa’a Samoa. Der er gennemført interviews med borgere fra forskellige erhverv og sociale baggrunde for at forstå, hvordan de ser brain drain, hvad det betyder i deres hverdag, og hvordan de mener, at det påvirker Samoas udvikling. Resultaterne sættes i relation til migrationsforskning i Stillehavet (bl.a. J. Connell, Sa'iliemanu Lilomaiava-Doktor, E. Hau’ofa og H. Lee) og suppleres med et tredje perspektiv fra centrale donorer og udviklingspartnere. Viden hertil stammer både fra arbejde i Samoa, herunder deltagelse i 3rd Annual SIDS Conference, og fra gennemgang af de vigtigste donorers databaser. For at forbinde det lokale med det globale bruger afhandlingen to teorier: D. Norths teori om institutionel forandring (hvordan regler og institutioner udvikler sig over tid) og I. Wallersteins verdenssystemteori (hvordan lande indgår i et globalt system). Disse rammer belyser de historiske forudsætninger for brain drain og Samoas nuværende position i verdenssystemet. På den baggrund foreslås flere politiktiltag, der udnytter spændingen mellem talentudvandring og kulturel robusthed: større ytringsfrihed for kunstnere; etablering af et vidensknudepunkt i Samoa med fokus på, hvordan oprindelig viden kan bidrage til bæredygtig udvikling; samt officielle kanaler, der gør det lettere for borgere at få adgang til remitter (pengeoverførsler fra udlandet). Et yderligere mål er at udfordre forestillingen om Stillehavet som fjernt og isoleret og at bringe regionens perspektiver tilbage i den globale bevidsthed.

This thesis draws on the author’s experience of living in Samoa and working with the United Nations Development Programme. Starting from a social constructivist perspective—the idea that social realities are shaped by people’s interactions—it examines why Fa’a Samoa, the Samoan way of life, is central to the country and how its role plays out in a wider context. Samoa has very high levels of migration, and it is often well-educated people who leave for opportunities abroad. The study explores how this “brain drain” affects the resilience of Fa’a Samoa. Interviews with citizens from diverse jobs and social backgrounds were used to understand how people view brain drain, how it affects their daily lives, and how they think it influences Samoa’s development. These insights are set alongside Pacific migration scholarship (including J. Connell, Sa'iliemanu Lilomaiava-Doktor, E. Hau’ofa and H. Lee) and expanded with a third perspective from key donors and development partners. This knowledge comes from professional work in Samoa, including participation in the 3rd Annual SIDS Conference, and from reviewing the databases of Samoa’s major development donors. To link local experience to global structures, the thesis uses two frameworks: D. North’s theory of institutional change (how rules and institutions evolve over time) and I. Wallerstein’s world-systems theory (how countries fit into a global system). This framing highlights the historical roots of brain drain and Samoa’s current position in the world system. Based on this analysis, the thesis proposes policies that turn the tension between talent outflow and cultural strength into development opportunities: greater freedom of expression for artists; creating a national knowledge hub focused on how indigenous knowledge can support sustainable development; and establishing official channels that help citizens access remittances from abroad. A further aim is to challenge the idea of the Pacific as remote and isolated and to bring the region back into global awareness.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

Samoa ; Brain Drain ; culture ; remittances ; isolation

Download
View record in AAU Student Projects