Local Governance in Timor-Leste - Secretaria de Estado da Arte e ...

often because they reflect already existing power dynamics within the suku. As such,it is only when we move away from these power dynamics that we can recognise the'thinness' of the modern institutional sphere, which is in turn a direct result of thepolitical economy of local governance in Timorese suku. I argue that if we take acritical approach to institutionalism, we can take account of this empirical reality,moving beyond simplistic accounts of institutional 'weakness' or 'strength' torecognise the complex interactions that arise as modern state institutions areincorporated into this local political environment.Second, functional approaches to institutionalism fail to recognise the reality ofpower, politics, agency and oppression within local communities that produce the'shadow side' of the everyday politics of mutual recognition, as existing inequalitiesrelating to gender and class are reproduced into the modern state institutions. Whilefunctional approaches to institutionalism tend to encourage simplistic analyses thatblame these inequalities on the ongoing importance of traditional institutions, I arguefor a more nuanced policy response to addressing local problems that recognises themany positive elements that traditional institutions bring to Timorese communities,while also working to strengthen the modern sphere of governance—essentiallybroadening the overlap between lisan and modern law. Such an approach wouldprovide the basis for developing a broader national politics of mutual recognition asenvisaged by Tully (1995) that would recognise the distinctiveness of Timoreseculture and traditions.Together with the insights that this thesis offers into theories of institutionalism asthey apply to hybrid political environments, I also seek to provide new empirical datafor understanding contemporary local governance in Timor-Leste. By unpacking thecomplexities of local politics, I have isolated some of the points of cohesion andtension that have emerged within communities as they negotiate where they stand inthe newly independent, democratic nation-state of Timor-Leste. In undertaking thisempirical exercise, this thesis reaches three conclusions. First, as discussed in chapterfive, fieldwork strongly demonstrates that the coexistence of modern and traditionalgovernance institutions should not be viewed as necessarily in opposition. While thereare some important points of tension where the norms and values of modern andtraditional institutions are in conflict, in many areas of communal life Timorese195