March 26

Today we talked about concerns that we had about going into the field.
I'm not a huge worrysome person, and I just go with the flow, and I'm just flexible like that! All this planning before-hand for I'm supposed to be doing for the next 5 months is way hard because I have no idea what I'm doing in the next 5 days!
So, whenever they ask a question about "what would you do if..." I just roll my eyes and think "I'll figure it out when I get there!" Additionally, all these "what ifs" are completely situation and dependent on the circumstances.
But then Ashley asked us a question about how would we notice the needs of others and be able to respond to them. How will we know when we see a need that needs fufilling? Do you ever notice the needs of others? Do you ever notice what kinds of things you never notice?
After she asked us that the whole group kind of went silent and I knew I didn't have an answer and I don't think anyone else did. I guess I never notice what I don't try to notice.
So, for the next week I want to try to notice the things that I never notice. I want to see if I can pick up on other people's needs and anything else I would never pick up on. I know that if I am keeping a watchful eye out for specific things I would normally ignore, then I can get a good feel and practice what it's like and be able to do it in the field.
This will be good for my field study, in that I will be able to better see the needs of others, be able to serve more, and be able to reciprocate appropriately for my host family and that way I don't look like a total jerk in Tonga! I will report how I improve/notice more things next week!

March 25

Wednesday was a fantastic day for my experience with Tongan culture! In our language class we had planned on going to Salt Lake to the Tongan store but didn't end up going because we didn't have enough money to get all the stuff for the 'umu on Saturday, so instead we went to a little Tongan/Polynesian restaurant and had food and a really delicious tropical drink. Although I'm pretty sure the food was a little Americanized, also the soda fountain machine gave it away a little too, it was still a fun experience to be able to talk to Sione and he could just tell us stories and we asked questions about the culture and tried to understand better.

Then we got the opportunity to go to the BYU luau and it was such a great experience. I think a lot of people kind of lump all of Polynesia together as the same but in watching all the different performances from all the different countries, it was clear to see that they were all unique and special in their own way! I really enjoyed the Tongan dancing and I was surprised that during the show I could pick up words that I recognized and I was able to understand a word here and there. It was an extremely beautiful show and hopefully I'll be able to learn some Tongan dances while I'm down there. It would be a great cultural experience and it will help me to build relationships with the wonderful people of Tonga.

I'm really grateful for our language and cultural prep classes before Tonga, because I feel like we will be able to go to Tonga wanting to learn about the culture and not just have an extended vacation there. It seems like a lot of tourists just skim the surface of the lifestyle in Tonga and other Polynesian cultures, and I think that can be the case for international internships and study abroads(obviously not all). There's so much more than just dancing and food, but there are ways of life, ways of thinking, family norms and unique cultural aspects to other countries that are so much more meaningful if we can experience them in contrast to our own and what we're used to. Hopefully that makes some sense. I'm just excited to be able to actually experience and live the culture, and not just see it.

March 23

I was asked how I thought I would be able to overcome the cultural problem of being western and asking for opinions on western culture. The problem that I foresee is that people might not want to offend me and not give me their true opinions on western culture and how it's affecting Tonga. In my proposal I talked about how I want to re assure them that I will not be offended and that I'm only interested in their honest opinions. I'm also going to maintain really good relationships with people so that they are more comfortable in being honest with me. I also plan on telling them that I am Hispanic so that maybe they will be willing to share more information with me since I'm not 100% white. I think the best way to overcome this problem is just to maintain really good relationships and I'm hoping that I'm enough of a people person to do that.

March 21

Today it was supposed to be spring (yesterday was the first official day). However, It was freezing and windy this morning when I walked to campus I didn't have a coat so I was so cold! I spent the whole walk up to campus complaining about the weather in my head and having a negative thoughts.
Tonight, while reflecting on what to write about, I realized what a terrible attitude I had today when things just weren't perfect. I realize that I can be this way a lot about many different things.
I heard Dallin say a couple times that there would be times in Tonga where we would just want to go home.
I can imagine this happening to me a lot if I have to walk a lot and I'm in pain and my knee hurts and the weather is bad and things aren't going right with my project or I'm hating the food or I'm homesick! If I don't have an attitude adjustment SOON, I'm probably going to have a bad time in Tonga.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I'm always a pessimist and that I can't get over things. I just realized that most of the time, it's my thoughts that are negative even when I try to be positive on the outside, so it doesn't always work out just right.
So, in preparation for good times and bad in Tonga, I want to start eradicating the negative thoughts I have. Throughout this week especially, I'm going to make sure to stop myself when I have a bad attitude and try to change my perspective and be happier when things aren't going my way! I just want to make sure that even when things get hard in Tonga I don't have to weigh myself down with negativity.

next time: domain analysis

March 16

In doing my new literature review I finally found a lot of good information not just about Tonga but about other studies similar to the one that I want to do. The effects of westernization on traditional cultures and people and attitudes toward westernization is a broad and widely researched topic. Vakalahi studied Pacific Islander students in America and how their culture affected their education. He discussed how Pacific Islander youth living in the US had to deal with modern culture and traditional culture pulling them either way. Western culture that is developing in Tonga presents an alternative to traditional ways that youth and young adults have to deal with on a day to day basis. Gewertz and Errington (2009) studied the Chambri of New Guinea and the effects of a modern television program geared towards New Guineans and a modern Christian youth group on the traditional society. They find that the youth involved in both traditional and modern aspects of New Guinea rejected both lifestyles as valued ways of living. However, attitudes toward modernization of their society, such as a video of their traditional dances with lights and cameras and people watching in western clothing made some people sad and they believed it discounted the richness of their culture. Lukere and Jolly (2002) studied women and modern medicine in Tonga. It was found that mā’uli, or traditional midwives, were more willing to incorporate modern medicine into their practices while the hospital staff acted antagonistic towards them. They found that women prefer the care of the mā’uli, while some consider the hospital to be more clean and safe. The Ministry of Health in Tonga is trying to convince mā’uli to encourage women to attend clinics and pre-natal training courses sporadically offered in Tonga. Such is an example of the struggle between traditional ways of life and western practices in the medical field due to different attitudes women have towards western practices versus traditional ones.
My studies differ from these in context, in that it will be a case study of the young women who are involved in traditional, gender-specific work while experiencing western culture influencing Tonga and their attitudes toward this influence.

March 14

So my project has taken a slight turn. My focus instead of families will be westernization in Tonga. As young women in Tonga, they experience the cultural traditions of weaving, but at the same time are experiencing westernization in Tonga. Tonga is still a monarchy, but theres been a push for democracy, a very western idea. Additionally, other western aspects of culture are taking over, and a lot of the people think that the Palangi (white) way is better. I really want to look at what kinds of perspectives that these women have who experience traditional aspects of the culture and what they think about western influences in Tonga.

March 9

Today and monday's class were all about different symbols that different cultures have. We have many symbols that are the same but represent different things (a t as a cross and a letter), as well as different symbols to represent the same thing (peace sign, dove, two fingers raised up). It's extremely important to recognize that symbols mean different things in other places, and things that we normally wouldn't have meaning on might be significant. An example is a cow here, which is just a farm animal we use to produce milk and meat, but in India the cow is extremely sacred and they wouldn't even think of eating one.
I don't know of any Tongan symbols that are different, but going along with that when we study another culture we have to realize that the way that they think is even different than our own. For example, Tongans are very connected with the nature around them, and have close ties with their families. In our culture, we don't think that way about nature and our society is becoming less and less family oriented. For my project I want to be able to learn about the way that Tongans think so I can better understand them and their culture. This is important because if you don't know about their symbols or what's sacred to them, you could really offend someone or even the entire community. I sure as heck don't want to do that when I'm trying to talk to people and research them!

March 7

In class we talked more about the article "Helping, Fixing, or Serving?" When I first read it, to be honest I didn't like it but I didn't want to say so because it sounded like a nice article that would have been a great church talk, however as an academic article I think it was pretty ridiculous. Then in class I found out that people in my group also didn't like the article. I disagreed about the definition of helping, and how you see people as weaker when you help them. I would disagree, because my definition of helping is just to offer assistance to those in need. When we serve people, it's pretty much the same thing. We offer of ourselves, whether it's our talents or our time or both!
In class Ashley erased the words helping, fixing and serving next to our definitions, and then I liked the article better. Without the semantics and definitions, there were concepts. The concepts were the attitudes behind when you are assisting somebody. If you do it because you want to appear better or stronger, then you are doing it for the wrong reasons. If you are doing it because you have love and want to express that, then you are serving in the way that Christ would have you.
When I go do research, I don't want people to think I'm here to fix their ways or help them because I'm a "rich American" and my way of life is better. I also don't want them to think that I'm trying to change them. When I do research with people, I am going to tell them that this information is going back to the US in order to broaden people's cultural understandings, and is in no way to put them down or show that all other ways other than our own are dumb. The way they are is beautiful because it's different, and that alone is a good enough reason to research and study the culture in Tonga. Knowledge of a different culture shouldn't be intended for criticism of that culture, but perhaps criticism of your own, and realizing that there's another way of life other than your own.

Make-up Journal #2

Ah yes, another make up journal for the ones I missed before I was in the class.
Yesterday, I got the opportunity to talk to professor Ostraff from the art department. He spoke to me about how in Tonga, they don't even have a word specifically for "art." This makes sense, in that pretty much everything that people do is art. The way we walk or talk, the clothes we wear, how we style our hair... even things like cars, shoes, pillows, architecture etc they are all some sort of art, and it's such a broad and generally term that the word doesn't even mean anything! The things that people do that are creative can also have a utility, and at the same time things we use for utility can have aesthetics to which we can ascribe artistic qualities.
I like that Tonga doesn't have a word for art, in that, everything they do is art so there just isn't a word for "everything you can do." It makes a lot of sense.
As I go to Tonga, I am studying the weaving houses, and the women create art, but it's also their "job" or source of income, at the same time it's a social space where she can spend time with her family and/or friends, and at the same time, it's traditional and cultural, and the cloths will be used for important ceremonies or for gift giving. When you look at it this way, it's clear to see why there isn't a word for "art," because everything is sort of woven together (pun definitely intended). In Tonga, the womens relationships to the cloth is so much more than just a way to make money, or a form of art. It's multi-dimensional and it's super beautiful. I am excited to be able to take a closer look at what all that is like in the weaving houses!

March 4

In class, Sione talked about how western culture is views by the Tongans. Many Tongans believe that the palangi (white) way is better than the Tongan way. It made me really sad actually. While there are good things about our culture, there are probably more bad things that I can think of right now. If Tongans made a significant effort to become more western, I can imagine them adopting materialistic attributes that would make them extremely unhappy. Kaylee talked about how a girl refused to eat in front of her, and when asked the girl said that she didn't want to eat in front of her because Americans think Tongans are fat, so she didn't want Kaylee to see her eat and re-enforce the stereotype that all Tongans are fat. I was extremely saddened by this. If there are some western things that I wouldn't want Tongans (or anyone) to adopt, they are body image ideals, materialism, and acceptance of extreme inequality between people. By that I mean, the capitalistic mindset of poor people are poor because they are lazy and dumb. This is completely untrue, and I would argue that poverty and inequality is a result of the way society is set up in America.
So, as this relates to my project, I just hope that Tongans don't have the view that I think I'm better than them, or that I want to teach them my ways because I think they are better. I want to understand their ways, not impose mine on them. No one's beliefs or lifestyles are better than another's. We are all different, but in reality, everyone has a common goal of finding happiness, so we should be accepting and decide for ourselves what kind of lifestyle that we want to lead in order to create that happiness.

Make-up Journal (woot)

We read an article about Stephanie Sinclair who worked for months to gain access into various polygamous towns in order to photograph their lives. A lot of her photos look like she was just a fly on the wall taking pictures, while others (the group shot) was posed.
Her role as a researcher was more observationalist (considering she was not participating). She had to get permission from Warren Jeffs himself and from various leaders in the communities in order to get in, and then it took even longer for her to actually be able to photograph what went on inside.
It took her months to gain access, and her hard work paid off, she was able to take and share pictures that no one else has been able to get before. Doing so was a lot of work, especially due to the fact that she went in right after the raid at Yearning for Zion. She had to make sure that the people knew that her intentions were not to incriminate or investigate, but simply share their lives with others so they can better understand too.
This makes me think of my research in Tonga, because I have to gain trust in the people before they will share their lives with me. This may take a while, but hopefully not months because I only have 3 in the field!