PACIFIC ISLANDS CULTURES

Anthropology/Hawaiian-Pacific Studies 350

On-Line – Fall 2004

Dr. Suzanne Falgout

University of Hawai`i-West O`ahu

96-129 Ala Ike

Pearl City, HI 96782

(808) 454-4725

falgout@hawaii.edu

UHWO ORIENTATIONS TO WEBCT

If you are new to online instruction at UHWO, I would like you to view our excellent Orientations to WebCT. Please view these no later than the first week of the semester. These can be found on the UHWO Website, Distance Education, Online Courses, WebCT Instruction Page. The URL is: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~uhwolab/webct.html Please view all of the orientations posted there--Logging into WebCT, Computer Requirements,WebCT Discussion Tool, WebCT Chat Tool, WebCT Calendar Tool, WebCT Email Tool, WebCT Quiz Tool, and Contacts. (It might help to print these out for your future reference.)

REQUIRED CHAT SESSIONS

Required Chat sessions will be held on Sundays 5:30-6:45pm

REQUIRED READINGS

Textbooks may be ordered through the World Wide Web at the following address:

http://www.hawaii.edu/dl/student/afterreg/uhoutreachbooks.html

Barclay, Robert

2002 Melal: A Novel of the Pacific. Honolulu: University of Hawai`i Press.

Kyselka, Will.

1987 An Ocean in Mind. Honolulu: University of Hawai`i Press.

O’Meara, Timothy

1990 Samoan Planters. Fort Worth, TX: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Weiner, Annette

1988 Trobriand Islanders of Papua New Guinea. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.

In addition, several articles will be posted on our course homepage, under required readings. Please download, print, and read.

COURSE CONTENT

When Ferdinand Magellan sailed across the Pacific Ocean in 1520-1521 in search of a shorter route to the East Indies, he unknowingly bypassed peoples belonging to thousands of cultures that were settled among the Pacific Islands. Once charted, the Pacific’s natural bounty, its strategic location, and the intrigue of Islanders and their lifestyles assured a wide variety of foreign interests in the area for centuries to come. This course will explore both the fantasy and reality of the cultures of the Pacific Islands.

1. The Pacific as a Natural and Cultural Area. We begin by examining the creation of the various island forms in the Pacific, looking at the development of unique physical environments and tracing the initial peopling of the area in prehistoric times.

2. Traditional Cultures of the Pacific. Next, we explore the lives of indigenous peoples from the regions of Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia at the time of contact. Broad regional patterns will be outlined; a bit more detailed focus will be given to the traditional cultures of Hawai`i, Samoa, Trobriand Islands, Pohnpei and Yap. We will cover topics ranging from politics, kinship and trade to sex roles, religion, and psychology.

3. Contact and Culture Change in the Pacific. Finally, we will discuss the forces of change in the Pacific.

A broad outline will be provided; special emphasis will be given to the World War II and some contemporary issues among Pacific Islanders.

COURSE STRUCTURE AND REQUIREMENTS

1. Weekly lessons. Weekly lessons will consist of WebCT lectures (these are often broken into small segments, so be sure to consult the syllabus for lesson titles and to click on the calendar date for a full display of all the assigned lessons). These lessons will run 1-2 hours per week. In addition, for some weeks films will supplement lessons. Remember to take good notes for lessons and films.

2. Weekly chat. Weekly chat sessions with the professor and classmates will be held on Sundays from 5:30-6:45pm. Please come prepared by completing the assigned lessons, videos, and/or readings. Please also download and print the weekly Chat questions posted on the Main discussion board. We will begin each Chat session by first meeting in the Tahiti Room for general announcements and assignments. So, it is important that students are not late for Chat. Student’s quality participation in each Chat session is worth 1 point toward the final grade. (Total=15 points)

3. Map Test. Each student will complete a take-home map test during Week 3. This test will cover Pacific geology and geography. Completed map tests will be mailed to the professor at the address noted at the top of this syllabus at the beginning of Week 4. (Total = 10 points)

4. Two exams. Students will complete two online exams. Exams will be objective format (true/false, multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, etc. (Mid-Term Exam= 30 points; Final Exam 2 = 30 points; Total=60 points.)

5. Pacific Islands Nation Profile. Students will choose one modern island nation and develop a profile of current events and issues (over the past 3 years). Only academic sources published in peer-reviewed journals and books should be consulted. Good sources include Pacific Islands Report http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/ and political reviews contained in the journal The Contemporary Pacific (found at most college and public libraries; call in advance). Students may find other good sources either online (the UHWO Internet Exploration Station can be accessed at: http://socrates.uhwo.hawaii.edu/library/explore.htm. ) Be cautious about “junk” articles that can lurk in Google, etc. or at public libraries.

The profile should use a general essay format, be typewritten and polished, and approximately 4 single-spaced pages in length. A sample will be posted to discussion.

Sources used must be properly referenced, both within the text and in the bibliography. Please consult a style guide for referencing (MLA, APA, AAA, etc. ). The UHWO Writing Lab has a handy set of guidelines for referencing; they can be found at http://homepages.uhwo.hawaii.edu/~writing/

(Remember: a URL for a Website is not an adequate reference. References should have an author, date, and publisher. )

A complete draft of this profile (including references) is due at the beginning of Week 12. The final draft is due at the beginning of Week 16. (Please post these to special discussion board, Pacific Profiles. Note: these are public postings.)

(Total = 15 points)

COURSE SCHEDULE

Subject to Change

Week 1. 8/23 The Myth and Reality of Pacific Islands

Lesson: *The Myth of the Pacific Islands *The Myth and Reality of Pacific Islands

*Some Pacific Islands Realities

Reading: Begin Kyselka, An Ocean in Mind

Week 2. 8/30 The Pacific as a Natural and Cultural Area: The Physical Environment

Lessons: *Pacific Islands Geology and Geography *Organic Life and Subsistence

Reading: Continue Kyselka, An Ocean in Mind

Week 3. 9/6 Peopling of the Pacific

Lesson: *Peopling the Pacific

Reading: Finish Kyselka, An Ocean in Mind

Take-Home Map Quiz

Week 4. 9/13 Archaeology of the Pacific

Lessons: *Pacific Archaeology *The Navigators

Reading: none

Week 5. 9/20 Traditional Cultures of the Pacific

Lessons: *Melanesian Cultures *Melanesian Society & Politics *Ongka

Reading: Begin Weiner, Trobriand Islanders

Week 6. 9/27 Trobriand Islanders and the Kula Ring

Lessons: *Trobriand Islanders *Women of Value, Men of Renown – 1

*Women of Value, Men of Renown – 2 *Trobriand Islanders of PNG

Reading: Finish Weiner, Trobriand Islanders

Week 7. 10/4 Polynesian Chiefdoms, Mana, and Tapu

Lessons: *Polynesian Cultures *Polynesian Society and Politics *Religion, Mana and Tapu

Reading: none

Mid-Term Exam

Week 8. 10/11 Fa`a Samoa

Lessons: *Fa`a Samoa *Margaret Mead and Samoa

Reading: O’Meara, Samoan Planters

Week 9. 10/18 Adaptation to “Small Islands” in Micronesia

Lessons: *Micronesian Cultures *Yapese Empire

Reading: none

Week 10. 10/25 Pohnpeian Traditional Knowledge and Feasts

Lessons: *Pohnpeian Ethnohistory and Society *Pohnpeian Feasts and Kava

Reading: Falgout, “Hierarchy vs. Democracy” (posted on bulletin board)

Week 11. 11/1 Contact and Culture Change in the Pacific: First Contacts

Lessons: *First Contact *The Onslaught – 1 *The Onslaught – 2 *First Contact

Reading: Howe, “From the Cold Lands” and Wendt, “Inside Us the Dead” (posted

on bulletin board

Week 12. 11/8 The Pacific Theater of WWII

Lessons: *The Pacific Theater *The Pacific Theater: War in Micronesia

Reading: Gasa and Kumana, “PT109” and Falgout, et al. “The Greatest Hardship”

(posted on bulletin board)

Pacific Islands Nations Profile Draft Due

Week 13. 11/15 Cargo Cults

Lessons: *Cargo Cults – 1 *Cargo Cults – 2

Reading: Worsley, “The Vailala Madness” (posted on bulletin board)

Week 14. 11/22 The Nuclear Age

Lessons: *Nuclear Playground *Half-Life

Reading: Begin Barclay, Melal

Week 15 11/29 Nationalism and Identity

Lessons: *Nationalism and Identity *Lieweila

Reading: Finish Barclay, Melal and Teaiwa, “Mixed Blood” (posted on bulletin board)

Week 16 12/6 Students’ Choice

Option: New Lesson or Study Review Session

Pacific Islands Nations Profiles Final Drafts Due.

Final Exam (days and times will be posted on bulletin board)