Accounting, cultural hybridisation and colonial globalisation: a case of British civilising mission in Fiji

Abstract

Purpose This historical study explores accounting’s association with processes of cultural hybridisation involving such themes as image-(un)making, alliance-formation and norm-setting as part of Britain’s civilising mission during the era of modern globalisation. In so doing, the paper examines the manner in which accounting may be implicated in micro-practices through which multi-layered socio-political relations of inequality is produced. Design/methodology/approach Archival materials enable an accounting understanding of the historical processes of image-(un)making, norm-setting and formation of a hybrid form of rule through elite Indigenous alliances. Findings The study finds that British Empire’s colonial project on civilising the Indigenous peoples in British Fiji involved: (i) the (un)making of Indigenous identities and their moralities; and, (ii) the elaboration of difference through ambiguous, partial and contradictory application of accounting in attempts to support the globalised civilising course. The globalising challenges Indigenous peoples faced included accounting training to change habits in order to gain integration into the global imperial order. The study also finds that the colonised Indigenous Fijians had emancipatory capacities in their negotiation of and resistance to accounting. Research limitations/implications The paper identifies avenues for further accounting examination of such processes in the context of post-colonialism and current forms of neo-liberal globalisation. Originality/value By investigating accounting's association with processes of cultural hybridisation this paper makes a significant contribution by providing the detail on the role of accounting records kept by the British Empire to facilitate Britain’s domination and control over the colony of Fiji and its residents.