Oceania Research Paper

The culture and structure of life in the Pacific region, or Oceania, has always been fascinating to me. There are so many things to know and learn about the Pacific Islands and their way of life. In this paper I will look deeper into the culture and describe ways in which this culture has, and continues to, survive. In doing this I will examine this particular cultures society, family structure, life ways, unique and indigenous ways, history, future, and changing factors that effect their way of life. The Oceanic region was explored and colonized by Austronesian speaking voyagers. By 1000 BP every habitable island supported societies. Europeans began exploring this region in the nineteenth century and found the people organized into chiefdoms.

They could not eat together, the men did the cooking, there were separate eating houses, women could not enter temples or men’s houses, women were not allowed to eat high status foods, and violations were punished by death. Women sought out high-ranking men as husbands for their daughters. High rank was always contentious because men and women often had children from multiple partners. Daily life at the village level was not differentiated by hereditary status rankings. Hawaiians practiced all forms of marriage; polygyny, sororal polygyny, polyandry, fraternal polyandry, levirate, and sororate. Fertility-limiting practices such as abortion and infanticide were common among the landless population. Land was a natural resource but because of the political economy was not culturally available for everyone who needed it for household

Pacific Islanders have to find a balance of keeping their indigenous roots, while still learning the western culture and applying their new surroundings. Keeping cultural identity is important but can be challenging. Many Pacific Islanders keep strong family ties and communicate regularly with relatives. They find connection to their culture through indigenous song and dance. Culture is liquid and can be modified and changed over time. Traditions however, are not. They can be remembered, practiced, and passed down. Many researchers and Pacific Islanders are learning how to best pass down traditions and keep their culture alive, even when they are far from home. Modernized community development continues to fail rural villages in Solomon Islands despite the movement toward a more people-centered, bottom-up philosophy. The classic use of community often times fails to acknowledge the reality of travel and transnational movements of people and ideas. Islanders must acknowledge crosscutting influences and the fluid nature of boundaries. Shared values and family ties become of importance when