Samoan culture

It is said that the Samoan tattooing tradition actually came from Fiji. There is a myth about two Fijian sisters who swam across the sea. On their journey they chanted, “we shall tattoo the women, not the men.” (In Fiji it is customary that the women are tattooed). Along the way the two saw a giant clam on the sea bed and dove for it. In excitement they jumbled the words and, on their return to the surface, again began chanting, “we shall tattoo the men, not the women”(A.R.). Anders Ryman, a freelance journalist, writes, “there are places in Polynesia...where tattooing is undergoing a revival, but only in Samoa has the tradition remained unbroken over the years,” (Ryman). The tradition of the tatau is an enormous part of Samoa’s culture and has stayed active for a number of years. The Samoans believe “both sexes must endure pain” (Ryman). Women suffer through childbirth, so men must experience something relatively equivalent. It’s only fair. The verb “to tattoo” comes from the Samoan word “ta tau,” meaning fitting, correct, or appropriate (Australian Museum). The…

it did shed some light into why American adolescent face great emotional and psychological stress. Margaret Mead, an American anthropologist, wrote the book Coming of Age in Samoa. It outlines her research of the sexual lives of the youth on the island of Ta’u in Samoan Islands. Mead believes that adolescents in America face many problems in society and sought to find if all cultures experienced this. She set out to find whether nature or nurture played a role in these problems. Her research was…

Different cultures have diverse ways of experiencing aspects of their culture. There are many commonalities and distinctions between the Yanomamo and Samoan peoples. They have different and similar subsistence methods, divisions of labor, occupational specializations, exchange of goods, and economic links to power. These differences and similarities are striking and deserve thorough examination. One of many aspects Samoan and Yanomamo life that is different is their subsistence methods. The…

This project is connected to me because im samoan. Also my mother and father had experiences with dancing.Actually both sides of my family have dancing backgrounds. My mother is a taupou of her family. Growing throughout my elementary days i would always help them prepare also watch them perform at PCC.Traditional choreography comes from place and custom; the dances tell a story of cultural values and celebrate simple events. They are graceful, exuberant, comic, and emblematic of the oldest…

Culture implies a variety of things. It encompasses complex systems of thought and belief across a group. It provides structure to the morality and behavior of a community-not only directing their actions, but providing context as to why they act that way. Naturally, the culture one grows up in helps build their identity, as does the language they speak, the social class they belong to, and the country that breeds them. How atrocious, then, is the act of transforming one’s indigenous culture…

exhibited in the distinction between the emic and etic concepts. Culture is a shared and symbolic system of values and beliefs that contribute in influencing people’s behavior and perception of the world. Cultural dimensions are constructed to explain and compare norms for a specific type of behavior in cultures. Social norms are expected behaviors and attitudes in smaller social group. Cultural norms are expected behaviors and attitudes in a society or culture. Emir relates to the intrinsic…

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie asserts that believing only a single story creates stereotypes. It creates stereotypes because when people are constantly presented with the same negative image of a certain type of people, they become that negative image in the minds of other. They begin to believe it is the only characteristic of the group being judged, and they overlook the positive images. Adichie states that this robs society of its humanity. Having intercultural competence would have helped the…

Pua and her cousin, Mina, were at a party discussing the disappearance of the bones and Mina’s friend, Fatu, appears. Upon hearing that Fatu is a Samoan, she assumes that he had an athletic scholarship and that was the sole reason he went to school. Pua exclaims profoundly, “You know, it’s just wonderful how many scholarships there are available now for Pacific Islanders. Especially if you’re interested in athletics.” (Page 202). Pua fails to acknowledge that Fatu is actually a prince and that…

Define Diversity Diversity is more than just culture and ethnics. It is the variation which makes people the same and different. It’s our values, our beliefs and our behaviors that makes us who we are as a person. Some of the most invisible forms of diversity is a person’s sexual orientation, their life experience, their political views to which without questioning them, you as a person may not know. “At its most basic and best, the term “diversity” refers to any and all differences between…

To start off with, what is culture? Culture is a particular set of customs, morals, codes, and traditions from a specific time and place. Without culture, everyone would be the selfsame and unoriginal. Some examples of culture would be ethnicity, religion, social class, and family identity. But, does your culture affect the way you view others? Many people don’t think about it daily but their cultures do affect the things they do. Culture constantly informs the way one views others and the…