Words and Representation, Pangia subdistrict

The keywords that I chose to use for my assigned patrol reports are: political education, economic development, cattle project, election,  roadwork, self-government, and agriculture, census, tax collection.  I chose these words due to the amount of times they were mentioned throughout my volume of patrol reports. A majority of my reports centered around the importance of political education throughout the subdistrict of Pangia. The reports I was assigned were done in July 1970 – July 1971.  This was nearing the end of Australia’s colonization and the Kiaps were trying to push the agenda of self governance and independence upon the people of Pangia.

My subject/keyword terms were very similar, almost identical to that of my partner’s, due to the fact that our reports were around the same time (less than a year apart of each other’s), and while my partner’s reports were more reliant upon the construction of roadwork and agriculture, my reports followed that infrastructure development, and pushed the political agenda much further. I chose the words roadwork and development due to the fact that a lot of reports mentioned the building of the Tealands road, that connected much of the higher altitude lands, to the lower altitude lands throughout Pangia.

The implications of my chosen keywords for future audiences will hopefully help narrow search terms for researchers that are interested in development  in political, agricultural and agricultural terms in PNG.

Patrol Report: Southern Highlands District, Pangia, 1970 – 1971

2 Comments Add yours

  1. Rachel Hicks says:

    Shefali, Your methodology for choosing keywords makes sense. I am wondering though why you chose those words and not others? For example, do you see political education as distinct from other types of education? Would politics be a useful broader term that could encompass political education, elections, and self-government? Or do each of those provide specific information that is lost when broadened? Just something more to think about as you move toward your final analysis. (Also, I think you have a typo in your last sentence)

  2. VIDAL ESPINA says:

    I wonder if at the volume level a terms like politics, civics or government could be used instead of political education, self-government and the like; while at the report level utilizing the former. But I do agree that if your reports really reflect the push for PNG to be a self-governing country that it be recorded at some level but especially at the report level.

Leave a Reply to Rachel Hicks Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *