The emergence of a middle class has been
identified as an important factor driving economic
and political transitions in Asia and Africa. Class
has been ‘happening’ in the broader Pacific
region1
for some time, as Gewertz and Errington
(1999:2) observed of Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Nevertheless, to date, little systematic policy
attention has been given to questions of class.
We believe that the concept of an emerging
middle class provides a useful entry point for
understanding significant developmental and
political transformations in Timor-Leste and
Melanesia and is important for informing
development policies. However, in order to explore
the potential consequences that an emergent
middle class may have, it is necessary to first
consider how such a class can be identified in the
region. We have chosen to focus on Timor-Leste,
PNG and Solomon Islands because these countries
are undergoing comparable social and economic
transitions, many of which correlate strongly with
the emergence of a middle class. Such changes
include rapid economic growth driven by resource
booms in Timor-Leste and PNG, associated
formalisation of regional economies, deepening
urbanisation, increasing social integration with
metropolitan powers through growing diaspora
communities, changing consumption patterns,
and the transformative impacts of social media
following recent internet and mobile telephone
penetration.
This paper has three substantive sections. First,
it considers contemporary discussions of class and
development in Asia and other developing regions.
Second, the paper develops a multidimensional
framework for identifying an emergent middle
class, drawing on a range of economic, political
and social criteria. Finally, the paper uses these
criteria to examine recent developments in each
of three case study countries and then draws some
conclusions on the developmental and political
significance of an emergent middle class in the
broader Pacific region with a view to establishing a
longer term research agenda.