ABSTRACT
Modernization and nationalism have always gone hand in hand. Nationalist sentiment has been considered a prerequisite for modern political and economic formations within states, and for most nationalists political and economic modernization has been a key aim. Solomon Taiyo and other joint ventures with the Solomon Islands government have advertised themselves as ‘good for the nation’, as integral parts of nation building (LiPuma and Meltzhoff 1990: 231). In the correspondence cited in Chapter 1, former Prime Minister Solomon Mamloni pointed out that Solomon Taiyo played an important role in Solomon Islands’ reputation in international fora. His example was a negative one (quality control problems reflected badly on Solomon Islands), but Solomon Taiyo also had positive effects on the reputation of Solomon Islands. The existence of such a large and longrunning industrial enterprise enhanced national identity by signifying modernness. Mr Hunuehu’s pronouncement above shows that Solomon Taiyo was valued for bringing the cultural and material capital of modernity to Solomon Islands.
