TY - JOUR
T1 - 'A calling from God'
T2 - Politicians and religiosity in the Pacific Islands
AU - Corbett, Jack
PY - 2013/10
Y1 - 2013/10
N2 - Despite its relative absence from much of the literature on politics in the Pacific region, religiosity is an assumed and often unchallenged component of political life. Drawing from more than 100 in-depth biographical interviews with politicians, around 40 published life histories and other publicly available material, this article uses Pierre Bourdieu's concept of 'habitus' to explore how politicians see the role of faith and religious association contributing to their public profile, election campaigning, representative and legislative functions, and 'inner' life. It advances two arguments: firstly, that ideal analytic distinctions like state, society and religion become problematic in the Pacific Islands where political leaders tend to occupy multiple roles and assume overlapping identities; and, secondly, that despite the overwhelming religiosity seemingly apparent in public rhetoric, secularization is an effervescent narrative across the region with politicians vocal protagonists on all sides of this debate.
AB - Despite its relative absence from much of the literature on politics in the Pacific region, religiosity is an assumed and often unchallenged component of political life. Drawing from more than 100 in-depth biographical interviews with politicians, around 40 published life histories and other publicly available material, this article uses Pierre Bourdieu's concept of 'habitus' to explore how politicians see the role of faith and religious association contributing to their public profile, election campaigning, representative and legislative functions, and 'inner' life. It advances two arguments: firstly, that ideal analytic distinctions like state, society and religion become problematic in the Pacific Islands where political leaders tend to occupy multiple roles and assume overlapping identities; and, secondly, that despite the overwhelming religiosity seemingly apparent in public rhetoric, secularization is an effervescent narrative across the region with politicians vocal protagonists on all sides of this debate.
KW - Pacific Islands
KW - habitus
KW - practice
KW - religiosity
KW - secularization
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84886430043&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/14781158.2013.810616
DO - 10.1080/14781158.2013.810616
M3 - Article
SN - 1478-1158
VL - 25
SP - 283
EP - 297
JO - Global Change, Peace and Security
JF - Global Change, Peace and Security
IS - 3
ER -