Telling It Like It Is: A Framework Exploration of Oceanic Oralities through the Example of Tok Stori

In Oceania, an area of diversity roughly bounded by the Pacific Ocean, although literacy and the influence of digital forms are gaining in influence, orality as an element of ontology or as a state of culture or consciousness remains strong. The literature of orality is growing as scholars seek to reveal the depths and nuances of how Oceania people habitually communicate, educate, philosophise, and so on through spoken forms of engagement. Despite this trend, there is little in the way of framework development to serve researchers who seek to leverage the research potential of various Oceania oralities. This article uses an exploration of tok stori, a Melanesian orality, as a way of supporting emerging researchers working on and through oralities. We particularly seek to serve those working in Pacific Island contexts and Pacific diasporas by providing a conceptualising framework that will sustain Oceania oralities research, focusing on examining the relationship of the parts to the whole. In addition, we lean on Bloom’s practically orientated taxonomic approach to inquiry to suggest some learning implications capable of supporting model making within the framework. This combination of theoretical and practical purposes is intended to encourage developments by pointing to the research skills needed to extend oralities research of benefit to Oceania peoples and provide opportunities for Comparative and International Education (CIE) to learn from the region.