Current Work Program
Scott is currently writing up his doctoral thesis which will provide the first comprehensive examination of Islam in Papua New Guinea. The thesis provides a detailed background on the growth of Islam and its institutionalisation since PNG independence.
Drawing heavily on ethnographic fieldwork and in-country archival research conducted in PNG during 2007, Scott argues that the recent growth in conversions to Islam in PNG is related to moral, cultural and economic dimensions facilitated by globalisation (decolonisation, media, Islamic Diaspora, and International Islamic NGOs). Scott applies social constructivist and social identity theories to assesses the nature of Islam in PNG and place it within the context of social, cultural and political change in PNG. A small chapter addresses the regional security environment and how aid policy might be applied to manage current and potential future security threats.
