Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. The book examines development as a meeting of worlds, a clash of paradigms as conventional models of development clash with customary practices. It talks about recognising and thinking about development as a process of interaction and negotiation between two cultures: the Western development project subculture and, in this case study, a vibrant, active Pacific Island culture. The book explores how diametrically opposed misunderstandings and misinterpretations in practice are culturally and theoretically based. It investigates the validity and credibility of common Western perceptions and interpretations of Samoan cattle farming and utilisation behaviours by examining the role and incorporation of cattle into Samoan cultural practices, society and livelihood systems. While several paradigms prove inadequate in accounting for the findings, ideas drawn from populism, post-modernism and contemporary development thinking are found to be able to offer useful explanations and insights.