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Digital Technology for Preserving Cultural Heritage in Tonga
Abstract
Cultural heritage embodies and carries the stories and values of our ancestors that define our understanding of who we are today. A society’s heritage serves an important purpose for educating people about their own culture and aiding in understanding their traditional values. In Tonga, where this research has been conducted, the historical knowledge and cultural values have been usually transferred orally from generation to generation. However, due to the pressures of globalisation, westernisation and migration, cultural heritage is under threat. These threats can potentially impede the transferring of societies’ idiosyncratic identity to future generations and erode cultural life. ICT as an option to preserve cultural heritage offers opportunities to not only capture and immortalise tangible and intangible cultural artefacts but also enables the accessibility of those artefacts to a wider audience through the internet. It is against this background that we explore how digital technologies are utilised in the process of preserving cultural heritage.
KeywordsICT4DSocial embeddednessPreserving cultural heritage
... Therefore, lack of access to information relevant to potential natural disasters is one of the most pressing issues needing to be addressed, not only from the geoheritage knowledge perspective (Latapu et al., 2018), but also a social justice and risk management perspective. Digital resources have proved valuable in preserving and facilitating access to cultural heritage as noted by Mesui, Andrade, & Waizenegger, 2019. Tonga, just like other central Pacifica nations, has a large diaspora, mostly in Australia and New Zealand that maintains a strong culturally driven link to the home islands and its villages. ...
... Digital technologies and usage of social media platforms are an apparent solution to preserve and keep the memory of the Tongan eruption alive and widely accessible within those communities that can readily utilize those networks. In this respect the Tongan diaspora (mostly in Australia and New Zealand) with their access and skills in managing and navigating those digital and social media spaces could provide an important pathway for knowledge preservation of the Tongan eruption, in the same way as other cultural activity, traditions and practices tend to infiltrate this space (Burroughs & Ka'ili, 2015;Mesui, Andrade, & Waizenegger, 2019). However, to collect, measure and prevent the knowledge about this volcanic eruption, a more traditional approach is also needed. ...
On the 15th of January 2022, a massive hydrovolcanic eruption at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai in Tonga (SW Pacific) sent shockwaves in the near-field regime, close to the volcano. The far-field disturbances that encircled the globe were of a slower velocity. The most prominent disturbance was the Lamb wave, with the rest of the disturbances being a variety of gravity waves travelled around the globe and instantly became an international headline story. The eruption generated atmospheric pressure waves recorded multiple times across the globe, triggered a tsunami, and injected highly fragmented pyroclasts up to 55 km into the atmosphere. Enduring several hours, a series of individual large blasts generated an unprecedented lightning “show” recorded by the lightning detection networks, such as Vaisala. Consequences were devastating to the local community and the tsunami was felt across the Pacific and beyond. The impact of the eruption was truly global and comparable to the Krakatau 1883 eruption. A question we pose here is which geoheritage elements were created and preserved after the eruption. First reports confirmed that while fine ash was reported on land about 100 km from the source, most deposits were thin (mm-cm thick). This indicates that it is unlikely that any major section will be preserved, especially in the years following the event given the tropical setting. In addition, most of the ash fell into the Pacific Ocean, leaving no visible mark of this catastrophe. Unfortunately, the proximal region (e.g., the vent site) has also been destroyed, leaving only limited in-situ geoheritage elements likely to be accessible in the future. This poses a problem for human societal memory, as major catastrophic events in the collective memory of a community may only persist for a few decades, even when significant eruptive features may be preserved. Without “visible” geoheritage elements, this time will likely be much shorter. Geocultural elements (oral traditions or cultural activities) are likely to preserve and transmit information within the local communities for a longer period, but their accessibility and decoding may face difficulties in the absence of physically preserved evidence. Therefore, we consider it is important to trace and explore these geocultural elements through a mix of traditional and western approaches of community engaged activities. For example, the Pacific region has experienced several similar large-scale eruptions in historic times, and a few of them resulted in preserved geoheritage elements such as superb sections of the 1452–53 CE Kuwae eruption in Vanuatu. While these sites are locally known, their appearance and their geological context are not evidently and immediately considered as part of a major volcanic system, as they do not fit the common human perception of volcanoes as large conical mountains. Such visual perceptions do not align with the common near-sea level/shallow subaqueous caldera-dominated systems such as the location of the recent Tonga event. In achieving a better understanding in local communities of this type of geohazard, the geoheritage and geoeducation values of those rare geosites will increase significantly over time.
... Cultural heritage preserves spontaneous history and collective memories, shaping societal understanding and appreciation of historical narratives. Its preservation allows successive generations to comprehend and value historical significance, which holds profound implications for national cultural dissemination [1]. Despite serving as a medium for the interpretation, dissemination, iterative accumulation, and active inheritance of historical memory, cultural heritage is also susceptible to degradation and destruction [2,3]. ...
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based technologies are increasingly crucial in the domain of cultural heritage conservation, facilitating the construction of dynamic information management systems and serving as robust platforms for research and display. This review utilizes CiteSpace and Bibliometrix R language to perform a bibliometric analysis of academic literature sourced from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection, focusing on the application of GIS in cultural heritage conservation. The analysis covers a broad spectrum of academic articles, identifying research hotspots, patterns of national cooperation, interdisciplinary mobility, knowledge structure, and developmental trends. The findings reveal that this research area is experiencing a phase of steady growth. While three emerging trends have been identified, demonstrating significant theoretical and technical advancements, there remains considerable potential for enhancing in their practical implication within conservation efforts. The study advocates for the integration of digital technologies into the humanities, emphasizing the need for a heritage database equipped with standardized data exchange protocols to support display and analytical functions. This systematic research approach not only illuminates new strategies for the inheritance and innovation in the conservation of cultural heritage, but also paves the way for future explorations in this increasingly vital field.
... National Preservation Office (2001) defines digitization as the conversion of analogue materials into a digital format for use in computer applications. Mesui et al., (2019) summarizes digitization as transforms materials from analogue (human-readable) formats to a format that can only be interpreted by computers (digital). He also states that digitization could help preserve precious materials, making high-quality digital images available electronically. ...
The transformation from conventional archival practices to the digitization of documentary heritage collections represents a pivotal undertaking in the safeguarding and facilitation of access to historical and cultural materials in the digital era. Digitization helps preserve precious materials, making high-quality digital images available electronically. In the context of this paper, manuscripts are categorized as valuable assets and historical documentary heritage and will be discussed in detail. The underpinning of this thematic review paper is to identify the issues that have been discussed in the digitization of documentary heritage publications from the years 2010-2021 using ATLAS.ti 8. A keyword search, followed by a filter using inclusion criteria from SCOPUS, Web of Science and Mendeley databases, identified 424 peer-reviewed journal articles and, after the inclusion and exclusion process, only 28 articles were used as the final articles to be reviewed. Findings show four distinct categories: collaboration and participation; disaster preparedness; crowdsourcing; and cultural heritage information system.
Indonesian literature is a field of science that studies poetry, prose, stories, novels, scripts, rhymes, and other literary works. Along with the development of the era and technology, interest in reading and interest in making Indonesian literature is decreasing. Along with the development of communication and information technology, the dissemination of information becomes faster and wider, for example through the use of the internet. Based on the results data from the research, the authors developed a website-based application that can publish Indonesian literary works with an attractive and interactive display for makers and readers in order to preserve and increase public interest in Indonesian literary culture. The research method used for data collection is using observation techniques, questionnaires, and interviews. As for the development of this website-based application using the Agile Development approach, with the Kanban method. The programming language used is JavaScript using the React.js and Express.js libraries and frameworks, as well as MongoDB for data storage. The results of this research, it is hoped that with the rapid advancement of science and technology, we want to combine technology and Indonesian literature by creating a web application that can help connect readers with other literary writers and reintroduce Indonesian literary culture more. We hope that this application can increase public interest in Indonesian literary culture. In addition, it is hoped that the wider community can access Indonesian literary works more quickly, easily, and comfortably.
This paper contributes to the theorising on Pacific research approaches from a personal and Tongan perspective. At the same time, it suggests that the majority of the thinking and concepts discussed have similarities and common implications for most other Pacific communities in AotearoalNew Zealand. In the paper, I discuss the underpinnings of what constitutes 'normality' in relation to research approaches. In order to theorise an appropriate approach to researching Pacific educational and social issues in Aotearoa, I discuss the infiuence Pacific indigenous values have on the way New Zealand Pacific peoples see their worlds.
Talanoa Research Methodology (TRM) contributes to the theorising on Pacific research from a personal and Tongan perspectives. The majority of the thinking and concepts discussed seek to provide a space for Pacific perspectives (as legitimated) in research. It shares similarities with other localised critical research approaches. TRM discusses what constitutes ‘normality’ in research approaches and theorises on appropriate approaches to researching Pacific educational and social issues and the influence Pacific indigenous values have on the way Pacific peoples in New Zealand see and communicate their worlds.
Thematic analysis is a poorly demarcated, rarely acknowledged, yet widely used qualitative analytic method within psychology. In this paper, we argue that it offers an accessible and theoretically flexible approach to analysing qualitative data. We outline what thematic analysis is, locating it in relation to other qualitative analytic methods that search for themes or patterns, and in relation to different epistemological and ontological positions. We then provide clear guidelines to those wanting to start thematic analysis, or conduct it in a more deliberate and rigorous way, and consider potential pitfalls in conducting thematic analysis. Finally, we outline the disadvantages and advantages of thematic analysis. We conclude by advocating thematic analysis as a useful and flexible method for qualitative research in and beyond psychology.
An understanding of culture is important to the study of information technologies in that culture at various levels, including national, organizational, and group, can influence the successful implementation and use of information technology. Culture also plays a role in managerial processes that may directly, or indirectly, influence IT. Culture is a challenging variable to research, in part because of the multiple divergent definitions and measures of culture. Notwithstanding, a wide body of literature has emerged that sheds light on the relationship of IT and culture. This paper sets out to provide a review of this literature in order to lend insights into our understanding of the linkages between IT and culture. We begin by conceptualizing culture and laying the groundwork for a values-based approach to the examination of IT and culture. Using this approach, we then provide a comprehensive review of the organizational and cross-cultural IT literature that conceptually links these two traditionally separate streams of research. From our analysis, we develop six themes of IT culture research emphasizing culture’s impact on IT, IT’s impact on culture, and IT culture. Building upon these themes, we then develop a theory of IT, values, and conflict. Based upon the theory, we develop propositions concerning three types of cultural conflict and the results of these conflicts. Ultimately, the theory suggests that the reconciliation of these conflicts results in a reorientation of values. We conclude with the particular research challenges posed in this line of inquiry.
Now in a Fourth Edition, this how-to guide is an excellent starting point for anyone looking to begin case study research. The authors—all professors teaching graduate students in education and other professions—provide the structure, detail, and guidance needed for beginning researchers to complete a systematic case study. Improvements for this edition include more practical and detailed guidance for conducting a literature review, a more efficient and easy-to-understand reorganization of the case study examples, and updated citations throughout the text. As with previous editions, this succinct handbook emphasizes learning how to do case study research—from the first step of deciding whether a case study is the way to go to the last step of verifying and confirming findings before disseminating them. It shows students how to determine an appropriate research design, conduct informative interviews, record observations, document analyses, delineate ways to confirm case study findings, describe methods for deriving meaning from data, and communicate findings.
Book Features:
A straightforward introduction to the science of doing case study research.
A step-by-step approach that speaks directly to the novice investigator.
Many concrete examples illustrate key concepts.
Questions, illustrations, and activities to reinforce what has been learned.
This original essay is an attempt to contribute to the thematic concerns of the inaugural conference, which involved a critique of long-standing yet largely unexplored problematics inherent in Pasifika education in the university, focusing on both teaching and learning by Pasifika peoples. Given that Pasifika education on all levels, including university education, is strictly but enforcedly Western-constituted in form, content and function, I set out here to examine critically many of the associated problems, critiquing them in the immediate context of the Tongan theory of education, as well as other closely-related theories, in the broader context of my newly-developed tā-vā (time-space) theory of reality. In doing so, such connected problems are critiqued at the interface of Pasifika and Western cultures, where the underlying formal, substantial and functional conflicts within and between them are symmetrically mediated in the name of both harmony and beauty in the curriculum, i.e., a spatio-temporal, substantial-formal movement from a mode of imposition to a state of mediation.
This original essay is dedicated to the lasting memories of my beloved parents, the late Mele Ha'amoa and ‘Aisea Nau Māhina, who instilled in me the undying desire and passion for education as a way of life to be considered a treasure for all of humanity. May they linger on eternally.
Research on the use of ICTs for international development, or information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) research, has a history going back some 30 years. The purpose of this paper is to take stock of the ICT4D research field at this important juncture in time, when ICTs are increasingly pervasive and when many different disciplines are involved in researching the area. The paper first provides some reflections on the history of the field broken down into three phases from the mid-1980s to the present day. This is followed by a detailed discussion of future research agenda, including topic selection, the role of theory, methodological issues and multidisciplinarity, and research impact. ICT4D research started largely in the academic field of information systems but it is concluded that the future lies in a multidisciplinary interaction between researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers.
Socio-political development in the late prehistoric Tongan Chiefdom was among the most complex in Polynesia. Chiefly prerogative extended over a variety of resources and was visibly reproduced in several forms of field monuments. Archaeological research in the northern Ha'apai island group has recorded 14 mound sites that oral tradition reports were used as platforms for the snaring of the Pacific pigeon. This type of site, and the sport itself; are firmly associated with the chiefly elite. Based on construction attributes, pigeon snaring mounds can be classifed into three types. Oral traditions in Ha'apai associate their construction with a specific chiefly line appointed to the position of governor in the mid-15th century A.C.
This study aims at investigating the extent to which Information Technology (IT) has affected the cultures of small nations, taking the South Pacific region as a study point. Against the background that the educational systems of the Pacific nations have not produced an efficient and effective curriculum with which to cope with the challenges of highly sophisticated technological applications, the study also examines the cultural challenges of adopting IT in the South Pacific to see if and how IT can be integrated into the cultures of the region for maximum benefits of the two entities. The study finds that culture and information technology would appear to be competing for the position of importance and/or power in human consideration, and this judgement reflects our attitudes towards each of them. Overall, culture and technology in the South Pacific, as in the rest of the world, need to function together, and should be prepared to accept one another as partners-in-progress.
Cultural heritage has been recognised to be intrinsically, economically and environmentally valuable, yet it is under pressure from a range of processes and impacts. The threats to it have been acknowledged by the global community, national governments and local people alike. This has triggered action including a rapid expansion of international heritage law in the last decade, which has both catalysed and complemented national and local initiatives. Fiji is a nation with a rich history and cultural heritage, now facing similar contemporary challenges to many other states. It is also a country that has sought to develop law and policy to protect a broad range of its heritage. This includes ratification of key international heritage treaties, as well as national and local initiatives. This article examines the laws, policies and programs in the Fiji Islands, which are focused upon heritage protection. Particular attention is given to indigenous Fijian intangible cultural heritage. This paper highlights the strengths of the Fijian approach, identifies the legal and administrative challenges that remain and makes recommendations for the future. The experience of Fiji is not isolated and it provides a valuable case study, which may offer important lessons to other small island developing states in the region.
This article is an invitation to engage critically in the discussion of indigenous languages and cultures and the implications for pedagogical decolonization. Among the issues raised are questions of the impacts of the beliefs, values, and attitudes of the prevailing Anglo Saxon and Christian culture or New Zealand European/Pākehā society on the aspirations and education of Tongan students in the secondary sector of the education system. Therefore, the article draws attention to the social and cultural contestations in affirming the place of Tongan people in secondary schooling in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore and understand the state of the art of managing digital resources focusing on the availability of risk strategy practice by cultural institutions in Malaysia, in order to maintain and preserve their digitised resources.
Design/methodology/approach
The multiple case study approach is adopted, where three selected cultural institutions participate.
Findings
One of the significant findings is the ability of the institutions to sustain their digitised resources. The paper discusses the issues related to the risk management of digital resources in Malaysian cultural institutions.
Research limitations/implications
This paper offers a comparative evaluation among three main cultural institutions in Malaysia.
Practical implications
The paper's findings and discovery are significant in highlighting the crucial elements which need to be addressed to ensure the sustainability and successful implementation of any digitisation project.
Originality/value
The findings of this paper contribute towards the dissemination of the new knowledge specifically in the management of digital preservation of cultural resources available in Malaysia.
In this paper I review the Information Systems (IS) research on how developing countries have attempted to benefit from information and communication technologies. First I identify three discourses on IS implementation and associated organizational and social change that coexist in Information Systems in Developing Countries (ISDC) research, namely as a process of technology and knowledge transfer and adaptation to local social conditions; as a process of socially embedded action; and as a process of transformative techno-organizational intervention associated with global politics and economics. I then point out the distinctive research agenda that has been formed for ISDC studies both in the more familiar IS themes - failure, outsourcing, and strategic value of ICT - but also from studies of themes relevant to the context of developing countries, such as the development of community ICT and information resources. Finally, I call the reader's attention to the potentially significant theoretical contributions of ISDC research for understanding IS innovation in relation to social context and in relation to socio-economic development theories and policies.
Good public policy and good analysis (and even good journals) should begin with good clear definitions of their core concepts and terms, and if possible, the relationships among them. For the launch of Information Technologies and International Development, terms such as information technologies and international development are no exception-we need to define each one carefully and to explore the relations among them. (c) 2004 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Technologies and International Development.
- G Walsham
Walsham, G.: ICT4D research: reflections on history and future agenda. Inf. Technol. Dev.
23(1), 18-41 (2017)