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Internalizing Legal Norms: An Investigation into the Legitimacy of Payback Killings in the New Guinea Islands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Shaun Larcom
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Abstract

This article investigates beliefs concerning the legitimacy of the traditional customary practice of payback in the New Guinea Islands; a practice that has been illegal for more than a century. The practice of payback is described and contextualized and a conceptual framework of norm internalization in a legal transplant society is developed. The empirical results highlight a stark urban–rural divide in attitudes. Yet, against expectations, those in urban environments (and in closer proximity to the state criminal law) are more likely to agree with the use of payback. An expected relationship is found between the ability to speak English and not agreeing with the use of payback. The empirical results suggest that the criminal law may be a weak force and that non-legal channels may be more effective in transforming society.

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Articles
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Law & Society Review , Volume 49 , Issue 1 , March 2015 , pp. 179 - 208
Copyright
© 2015 Law and Society Association.

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Footnotes

Centre for Development, Environment and Policy, SOAS, University of London, United Kingdom; Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Von Hügel Institute, St Edmund's College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. I am grateful to Chiara Berneri, Abhishek Chakravarty, Michael Faure, Kate Johnston Ata'ata, Irma Kurniawan, Brendon McConnell, Megan Richardson, Dan Rogger, Timothy Swanson, William Twining, Tim Willems, Gordon Woodman and seminar participants at the Australian National University and the Graduate Institute Geneva for discussions and comments. I am also grateful to the editors and reviewers for providing comments that greatly improved this article. This research was made possible by the assistance of Fr. John Cabrido SDB, Fr. John Dixon SBD, the Salesian Communities of Kokopo and Boroko. In conducting the survey I am deeply grateful to the Billy, Banako, and Ka'akau families, and Christopher Torona in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville; the Ikalum family, Br. Otto Kaulan, Sam Raralo, and Michael Rabia in East New Britain; and the Ignatius family, Dominic Lorpo and Ralph Utunga in West New Britain—and many others, some of whom wished to remain anonymous. I would also like to acknowledge financial assistance provided by the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission.

References

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