Fa'avae: A Samoan Theory of Crime from the ‘South’ Pacific

Abstract

This article presents an interdisciplinary theory on the causes of crime in Samoa. The theory utilises a cultural practice of building the foundation - fa’avae - of a Samoan house, to explain the causes of crime and to articulate a crime prevention strategy from the nuances of the word fa’avae. The interdisciplinary nature of this theory considers two main aspects of the Samoan life of God and family (aiga) to describe both the causes of crime in Samoa, and a way forward to restore aiga and community fractured by crime. The theory calls upon the church through church ministers – faifeau – to become active in the public sphere. This entails speaking out about the causes of crime and working in collaboration with other stakeholders in devising culturally appropriate crime prevention approaches for Samoa, likely to also be familiar to other ‘South’ Pacific nations.