Micronesia 1975-1987


Book Description

The most up-to-date compilation of bibliographical sources on anthropology and related cultural subjects in Micronesia, this work provides easy access to the sizeable body of literature written about the area in the twelve-year period covered. The compilers' liberal selection criteria make this social science resource especially thorough and valuable. Many of the more than 1800 cited documents are of cross-disciplinary interest and are accordingly indexed under two or more subject terms or geographical areas. Geographically, the area covered by this material includes the Marshall Islands, the Caroline Islands, the Mariana Islands, plus Nauru and Kiribati, two areas which are culturally a part of Micronesia. Specific island names are found in the geographical index which is preceded by a helpful list of island names used as well as their alternate names and variant spellings. Although scientific material unless it addresses cultural aspects has not been included, reports of the effects of radio active fallout in the Marshall Islands are cited due to the impact this issue has had and continues to have on residents and their way of life. In this volume's context, the term psychology encompasses not only psychological and psychiatric elements of Micronesian cultures, but is also assigned to works dealing with alcohol and drug abuse and the problem of suicide in Micronesia. Books, journal articles, dissertations, theses, government documents, conference papers, popular magazine articles, monographs, periodical articles and unpublished manuscripts are among the wealth of sources indexed. Reviews of works are included only when they contain substantial discussion of their subject matter and provide reactions to the theories posited by such work. The Micronesian Area Bibliographic Database at the Micronesia Area Research Center and a manual review of innumerable references constitute the sources for the citations in this thorough work which provides bibliographic control over this wealth of material. Students and scholars working on these related topics will find Micronesia, 1975-1987: A Social Science Bibliography an indispensible reference.




Historical Dictionary of Guam and Micronesia


Book Description

Provides basic reference material on Micronesia, a region encompassing a vast area of the tropical western Pacific Ocean. Includes the Mariana, Caroline, Marshall, and Gilbert islands and the island nation of Nauru.




Micronesia 1975-1987


Book Description

The most up-to-date compilation of bibliographical sources on anthropology and related cultural subjects in Micronesia, this work provides easy access to the sizeable body of literature written about the area in the twelve-year period covered. The compilers' liberal selection criteria make this social science resource especially thorough and valuable. Many of the more than 1800 cited documents are of cross-disciplinary interest and are accordingly indexed under two or more subject terms or geographical areas. Geographically, the area covered by this material includes the Marshall Islands, the Caroline Islands, the Mariana Islands, plus Nauru and Kiribati, two areas which are culturally a part of Micronesia. Specific island names are found in the geographical index which is preceded by a helpful list of island names used as well as their alternate names and variant spellings. Although scientific material unless it addresses cultural aspects has not been included, reports of the effects of radio active fallout in the Marshall Islands are cited due to the impact this issue has had and continues to have on residents and their way of life. In this volume's context, the term psychology encompasses not only psychological and psychiatric elements of Micronesian cultures, but is also assigned to works dealing with alcohol and drug abuse and the problem of suicide in Micronesia. Books, journal articles, dissertations, theses, government documents, conference papers, popular magazine articles, monographs, periodical articles and unpublished manuscripts are among the wealth of sources indexed. Reviews of works are included only when they contain substantial discussion of their subject matter and provide reactions to the theories posited by such work. The Micronesian Area Bibliographic Database at the Micronesia Area Research Center and a manual review of innumerable references constitute the sources for the citations in this thorough work which provides bibliographic control over this wealth of material. Students and scholars working on these related topics will find Micronesia, 1975-1987: A Social Science Bibliography an indispensible reference.




American Anthropology in Micronesia


Book Description

American Anthropology in Micronesia: An Assessment evaluates how anthropological research in the Trust Territory has affected the Micronesian people, the U.S. colonial administration, and the discipline of anthropology itself. Contributors analyze the interplay between anthropology and history, in particular how American colonialism affected anthropologists' use of history, and examine the research that has been conducted by American anthropologists in specific topical areas of socio-cultural anthropology. Although concentrating largely on disciplinary concerns, the authors consider the connections between work done in the era of applied anthropology and that completed later when anthropology was pursued mainly for its own sake. The focus then returns to applied concerns in more recent years and issues pertaining to the relevance of anthropology for the world of practical affairs. It will be of essential interest to students and scholars of Pacific Islands studies and the history of anthropology.




Remaking Micronesia


Book Description

America's efforts at economic development in the Caroline, Mariana, and Marshall Islands proved to be about transforming in dramatic fashion people who occupied real estate deemed vital to American strategic concerns. Called "Micronesians," these island people were regarded as other, and their otherness came to be seen as incompatible with American interests. And so, underneath the liberal rhetoric that surrounded arguments, proposals, and programs for economic development was a deeper purpose. America's domination would be sustained by the remaking of these islands into places that had the look, feel, sound, speed, smell, and taste of America - had the many and varied plans actually succeeded. However, the gap between intent and effect holds a rich and deeply entangled history. Remaking Micronesia stands as an important, imaginative, much needed contribution to the study of Micronesia, American policy in the Pacific, and the larger debate about development. It will be an important source of insight and critique for scholars and students working at the intersection of history, culture, and power in the Pacific.










Traditional Micronesian Societies


Book Description

Traditional Micronesian Societies explores the extraordinary successes of the ancient voyaging peoples who first settled the Central Pacific islands some two thousand years ago. They and their descendants devised social and cultural adaptations that have enabled them to survive—and thrive—under the most demanding environmental conditions. The dispersed matrilineal clans so typical of Micronesian societies ensure that every individual, every local family and lineage, and every community maintain close relations with the peoples of many other islands. When hurricanes and droughts or political struggles force a group to move, they are sure of being taken in by kin residing elsewhere. Out of this common theme, shared patterns of land tenure, political rule, philosophy, and even personal character have flowed. To describe and explain Micronesian societies, the author begins with an overview of the region, including a brief consideration of the scholarly debate about whether Micronesia actually exists as a genuine and meaningful region. This is followed by an account of how Micronesia was originally settled, how its peoples adapted to conditions there, and how several basic adaptations diffused throughout the islands. He then considers the fundamental matters of descent (ideas about how individuals and groups are bound together through ties of kinship) and descent groups and the closely interlinked subjects of households, families, land, and labor. Because women form the core of the clans, their roles are particularly respected and their contributions to social life honored. Socio-political life, art, religion, and values are discussed in detail. Finally, the author examines a number of exceptions to these common Micronesian patterns of social life. Traditional Micronesian Societies illustrates the idiosyncrasies of individual Micronesian communities and celebrates the Micronesians’ shared ability to adapt, survive, and thrive over millennia. At a time when global climate change has seized our imaginations, the Micronesians’ historical ability to cope with their watery environment is of the greatest relevance.




History of Micronesia


Book Description




Micronesia


Book Description

Micronesia is home to less than 500,000 people, all coming from a variety of backgrounds due to its many islands being scattered over a large area of the Pacific Ocean. This bibliography provides over 700 citations, representing a cross-section of the available literature on the subject.