Bibliography: leaves 339-372. / 372 leaves : ill. (chiefly col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Maintains, and substantiates in the ethnographic context, that cultural identity is both a conscious and symbolic construction. The ethnography is situated in the Shepherd (Central) Region of the Republic of Vanuatu, a Y-shaped archipelago in the south west Pacific Ocean. Fieldwork was conducted between July 1995 and February 1997 on two islands - Mataso and Efate. Mataso and Matah Keru communities have gradually become distinct, each possessing particular structural organizations, customs (kastom) and histories. Yet, the two groups remain united. Credence in historical ancestors, indigenous mythologies and territorial places continually cement an ethnic commitment between urban and rural dwellers, a bond that is forever reinforced through the movement of persons between places. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Anthropology, 2000?