Polynesian Topics

Polynesian Origins and Migrations: A Review of Two Centuries of Speculation and Theory (1967)
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A  general review of theories to account for the settlement of the Polynesian Islands, with translations from French and German sources in addition to those in English.

Recent Trends in Polynesian Anthropology (1969) Download PDF
An account of trends in approach to social analysis in Polynesian societies, emphasizing a shift away from static social structural perspectives to a focus on social dynamics.

Polynesian Social Stratification Revisited (1972) Download PDF
A  review article stimulated by Irving Goldman's Ancient Polynesian Society, including a discussion of the socio-political forms at the time of contact, how such forms functioned, and what were the dynamics that lay behind the differentiation of social forms in the culture area.

Polynesia and Micronesia in Psychiatric Perspective (1979) Download PDF
An overview of mental health issues in Polynesia and Micronesia including the impact of alcohol, suicide, forms of psychopathology, and psychosomatic disorders. The impact of culture change is also discussed.

Review of Prehistory of Polynesia (1980) Download PDF
A review article covering shifting trends in archeological research and theoretical perspectives on the settlement of Polynesia.

Samoan Coping Behavior.pdf  (1986) Download PDF
The main purpose of this chapter is to identify significant problems commonly shared by Samoans as they confront increasingly complex environments, and to describe their coping responses to these problems.

Questions and Answers: Samoans Talk about Happiness, Distress and Other Life Experiences (1986)
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This chapter presents a report of questionnaire data concerning Samoans' self-perceptions,
particularly insofar as these are related to health conditions, and raises questions regarding the validity and reliability of questionnaire data from non-Western cultures.

Introduction to Polynesian Ethnology (1989) Download PDF
An essay introducing the chapters in the book and reflecting on key issues, such as the presentist project of doing ethnographic research into contemporary societies and the reconstructionist project of understanding societies of the past.

Polynesian Ethnography Early Contact Period (1989) Download PDF
A  critique of early accounts of Polynesian societies and the biases that entered into accounts of the behavior of native peoples.

Polynesian Social Organization (1989) Download PDF
A  consideration of key issues in various aspects of Polynesian social organization, including the nature of descent groups, social stratification, kinship, incest taboos, adoption, gender, alliance, and exchange.

Looking Ahead [Epilog to Polynesian Ethnology] (1989) Download PDF
In this concluding chapter we consider a range of possible new projects in Polynesian ethnology, reflecting a set of related issues: prehistory and the reconstruction of early contact sociocultural systems, historical change, contemporary Polynesian society and culture, and comparative analysis.

Aspects of Samoan Social Organization in Three Samoan Communities (1990) Download PDF
A  comparative study of Samoan social organization in three locations—a rural village on the island of Savai'i in Western Samoa, seven villages on the southern coast of the island of Tutuila in rapidly modernizing American Samoa, and in urban Honolulu, Hawaii.

Selective Migration from Samoa: A Longitudinal Study of Pre-migration Differences in Social and Psychological Characteristics(1991) Download PDF
A  study contrasting a group of Samoan migrants with non-migrants revealing a number of significant differences, such as migrants reporting a higher degree of peer-reliance as an adaptive strategy and a larger number of individuals in social support networks.

Reflections on History in Polynesia (1993) Download PDF
A  contemplation of the ways in which colonial histories deprived local figures their rightful place in historical narratives, resulting in a dearth of laudable indiginous models for younger generations to emulate.

History in Polynesia: Changing Perspectives and Current Issues (1994) Download PDF
A discussion of the revival of historical narratives entertained by anthropologists after a hiatus due to the prevalence of more static approaches, like functionalism. Attention is drawn to issues of discourse, including underlying assumptions in which historical approaches have been embedded.