Can a ‘Silent’ Person Be a ‘Business’ Person? The Concept Mãduã in Fijian Culture

Abstract

The focus of the paper is an examination of the relevance of the traditional concept mãduã for an understanding of Fijian culture, particularly in the context of modern business enterprise. The concept represents a multitude of subtle as well as clearly displayed emotions and attitudes. Though mãduã is especially relevant in situations where Fijian values are centre stage, the view put forward here is that the associated expressions and bodily postures are also relevant in modern urban contexts, where perhaps one might otherwise expect them to be discarded or at least toned down. In public discourse in Fiji, where the theme of Fijian participation in both education and business is constantly commented on and discussed, a new notion is identified, namely ‘silence’. The author suggests that it may to some degree replace and encompass mãduã The prime concern of the article, however, is to bring to the fore reflections by Fijians themselves on existential dilemmas, one of which is about how to live with mãduã in the modern context.