This thesis examines the impact of coexisting modern and traditional governance
institutions as they are experienced in the villages of Timor-Leste. Within some
development theory and much development practice, coexisting modern and
traditional institutions are often portrayed as binaries and necessarily in opposition.
However, the reality is that local communities across Timor-Leste are navigating both
'spheres' of governance on a daily basis. Drawing on fieldwork conducted by the
author in the subdistricts of Venilale and Ainaro from July 2008 to February 2009,
this thesis provides a detailed empirical analysis of this lived experience within
contemporary Timorese villages. It then draws on these insights to provide a more
nuanced, contextualised account of the impact of institutional interventions, local
governance and democratisation within these villages.
Issues around the coexistence of pre-colonial and postcolonial forms of governance
are not limited to Timor-Leste; rather, this coexistence is arguably a common
experience in most postcolonial states. As such, institutional theory needs to account
for this complex reality as it is experienced by millions of people across the world.
This thesis argues for a critical approach to institutionalism in order to account for the
coexistence of modern and traditional governance institutions. A central argument of
this thesis is that this coexistence is best understood through the everyday "politics of
mutual recognition" (Tully: 1995). In most cases, the politics of mutual recognition is
not something that is formed through legislation but rather comes about as
communities engage with modern and traditional institutions in order to fill
communal needs, and as leaders engage with these institutions in order to pursue
individual political agendas. This thesis critically examines the structured forms of
mutual recognition that have formed within the villages of Timor-Leste and the
various points of tension and mutual support that have emerged as a result of this
coexistence.
This thesis reaches three conclusions. First, the coexistence of modern and traditional
governance institutions should not be viewed as necessarily in opposition. While there v
are some important points of tension where the norms and values of modern and
traditional institutions are in conflict, in many areas of communal life Timorese
communities have created various forms of political hybridity that reflect the
requirements of both modern and traditional institutions. Second, within the current
political environment where very few resources are reaching the rural population, the
balance that is negotiated between coexisting institutions tends to be determined with
greater reference to the values and norms of traditional governance institutions. Third,
this current reality is not a settled state of affairs. Rather, it is deeply contingent on the
broader Timorese political environment. A necessary correlation to the current lack of
investment in the rural areas is that the Timorese government can demand very little
from communities in terms of institutional and behavioural change. The potential role
of the Timorese state as a development agency means that the existing balance that is
negotiated through local politics could change very quickly, creating new challenges
and opportunities for different actors at the local level.