The New Shape of Old Island Cultures : A Half Century of Social Change in Micronesia / Francis X. Hezel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hezel, Francis X., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social change--Micronesia.

Social change.

Micronesia--Social conditions.

Micronesia.

Micronesia--Social life and customs.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press, [2001]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

The years since World War II have brought unprecedented social change to Micronesia. Now, drawing on more than four decades of experience living and working in the region, Francis X. Hezel assesses the most striking changes to have swept over the islands in the past fifty years. His careful and comprehensive reading of Micronesian anthropology and history allows him to present insights into patterns of change touching the lives of not only Micronesians but people in other parts of the Pacific as well.The broad range of topics covered include family structure, land, gender roles, cultural treatment of life events (birth, marriage, death), sexuality, political authority, and demography and migration. Hezel argues that the primary engine of social change in Micronesia has been the dramatic shift from subsistence fishing and gardening to salaried employment in a cash economy. He makes the case that this fundamental change has fragmented the extended family, changed the way land is viewed, revolutionized gender roles, and paved the way for an ethics of individualism.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Family

2. Land

3. Gender Roles

4. Birth

5. Marriage

6. Death

7. Sexuality

8. Political Authority

9. Population and Migration

Summing Up

Notes

References

Index

About the Author

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 28. Aug 2019)

ISBN:

9780824843762

0824843762

OCLC:

654898574