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

'shadow side' of the everyday politics of mutual recognition as existing powerinequalities are reproduced through various institutional forms.The binary of tradition and modernity can lead to two equally concerning positions—the presumption that either traditional cultural forms need to be 'overcome' beforedevelopment can proceed, or alternatively that democratic principles and values arenot relevant to those communities adhering to a 'traditional' way of life. Fieldworkstrongly demonstrates that both positions are equally flawed in their failure to takeaccount of people's lived experience. Throughout this thesis, I demonstrate that thecoexistence of modern and traditional institutional structures should not be conceivedas an either/or proposition. If we examine the coexistence of modern and traditionalinstitutional structures as they are experienced from within a Timorese village, thehybridity of norms and ideologies that prevail at the local level becomes apparent.Unlike most dominant political theories, this hybridity is not seen within communitiesas inconsistent—which gives hope that a true politics of mutual recognition can bebuilt to support governance in local communities. The theoretical framework that isbuilt in this thesis offerss a foundation for analysing where coexisting institutionalstructures are mutually supportive, where they are in tension, and the impact that thishas on villagers' experience of power and authority at the local level.74