John Cox

When brokers fail, brokers proliferate! Generational change and the failure of development in remote Papua New Guinea

Abstract Recent efforts to secure development by Febi and Kubo people in Papua New Guinea's Western Province reveal a patterned history of failing brokers, incomplete projects and wasted money. Within this longer trajectory, three overlapping waves of brokerage can be discerned,...

Brokerage, bridewealth and benefits on a resource frontier in Papua New Guinea

Abstract In this paper, we examine tensions over intermarriage and resource sharing between two groups on a Papua New Guinean resource frontier. These tensions are mediated by a ‘brokerage fix’ led by Febi clan heads responding to financial demands from their Pangia neighbours an...

Benefits, brokers and betrayal: Becoming a cultural broker in Papua New Guinea

Abstract How processes entailed in accessing benefits are implemented in the early stages of a resource project shapes brokerage throughout the project's lifespan. Perceptions of the efficacy of these processes and of the individuals involved often vary. Where the desires of host...