Samoan CulturePower Point Presentation By:

•Briar Ravencroft (Rituals)•Cortney Soland (Non-Verbal Use of Clothing)

•Dawn Riley (Introduction, Gender Roles, Power Point Compilation)•Donna Schreiber (Samoan vs. American Culture)•Fleta Russell (Non-Verbal Communication)

•Nellie Roberson (Communicating & Samoan Culture)•Samantha Salling (Verbal Communication)

Communication Studies 101 March 6, 2012

•The Samoan Islands are located in the southern Pacific Ocean and forms part of Polynesia.

•The islands are broken up into two regions Samoa & American Samoa.

•The are specific cultural differences between the two jurisdictions•The Samoan islands are very welcoming and have assimilated to

coinciding with other major cultures in the World.•Today there are many Samoan people in the USA and we will look

at how their culture coexists with American Culture.

• As we interact with many different cultures, we find that there are many differences from our own American culture.

• We are taking a closer look into Samoa and providing some interesting facts of their heritage.

• But before that, we would like to show you some differences between Samoa and America such as health care, Holidays, and sports.

How Samoan Culture Differs from American Culture

Health Care and Medical Facilities

AMERICAN• America has thousands of hospitals spread

out over the fifty-states. • Health care can cost a lot of money, but

their are ways to get affordable health care. Some employers offer a health care package while you are employed with their company, as well as government programs to help families with low income.

• Hospitals in the U.S. are required by law to handle a large variety of illnesses and are properly equipped for these situations.

SAMOAN•Samoa’s health care facilities are equipped for regular check ups but are limited. Serious illness, some emergencies, and related laboratory work are treated else where. Evacuation for such things are sent to the United States and can cost thousands of dollars.

•Doctors and hospitals often expect cash payment on the spot. The pharmacies may not carry the prescription or over the counter medicines or they may be a different quality than those available in the United States.

Samoan Holidays• In Samoa no official business is conducted in a three-weekspand starting a week before

Christmas and ending a week after New Year’s. The post office shuts down for a week. As well as, Independence Day since the two are back to back all banks, offices, and most stores are closed as well.

• A lot of countries celebrate mothers and fathers day but Samoa has made Children's Day (White Monday, the day after White Sunday) a public holiday. On White Sunday, the children dress in white parade to church; after the service they take places of honor and eat at a family feast.

• Independence Days are celebrated during the first week of June their is dancing, feasting, speeches, by tulafale (talking chief), horse races, and other sporting events. Even though Samoa attained independence on January 1, 1962 the celebration’s are held in June to avoid total paralysis around Christmas.

• The Teuila Festival is held in September their are many cultural activities such as a church choir competitions, dance and beauty contests, squash and cricket finals, long boat races , traditional games ,talent shows, and many more.”

• Once a year, the palo reef worm rises from the coral before dawn according to a lunar cycle (October on Upolu, November on Savai’i). The Samoans wait with lanterns and nets to catch this prized delicacy, the Caviar of the Pacific. This remarkable event takes place in Samoa, Fiji, and some other islands, but never in Hawaii.”

U.S. Holidays• On St. Patrick’s Day America pays tribute to the Irish culture and traditions in America. Irish music concerts,

dancers, exhibitions, theatre performances and religious services are held in March ever year. Americans also wear the color green, and eat green foods, and drink popular Irish drinks.

• Easter is celebrated based on one’s religious belief’s and denomination. Christians commemorate Good Friday as the day Jesus died and Easter Sunday as the day he rose. Throughout America kids get Easter baskets that the Easter bunny left for them filled with candy.

• Mother’s day is a day when people young or old can show their appreciation for their mothers.• Memorial Day we pay tribute to all the fallen soldiers who have served in any branch of the service. Memorial

Day first acted to honor Union soldier's but was expanded after World War 1. • Father’s Day began shortly after mothers day to show appreciation to hard working dad’s.• Independence Day is a federal holiday in the U.S. commonly known as Fourth of July. Declaring America's

independence July 4, 1716 from the Kingdom of Great Britain. This day is commonly associated with barbecues, picnics, concerts, carnivals, fireworks, family reunions, and ceremonies.

• Labor Day is the first Monday is September every year. Since September 5,1882 as the Central Labor Union Of New York sought to create a day off work for the working citizens.

• Columbus Day is celebrated the second Monday in honor of Christopher Columbus being the first European to have discovered the New World of the Americas.

• Halloween is a time for people for all ages to dress up and go trick or treating around local areas. • Veterans Day honors over 24.9 million military veterans in the United States. • Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November each year at the end of harvest season, to express

thanks. • Christmas is a gift giving holiday wear some jobs and family give gifts and love based on religious background. • New Years Eve is not a federal holiday but many Americans have parties and light fireworks.

SportsSAMOAN• The Rugby League is very popular in Samoa.

– In 2000 their rugby team reached the quarter finals in the World Cup. Many of Samoan descent play in the Super League and National League in Britain.

• American football is growing in Samoa. – About thirty percent of ethnic Samoans, many from American Samoa, currently play in the N.F.L..

• Cricket is a minor sport, the Samoan team finished last place, missing out in the 2011 World Cup. • Professional wrestling and MMA, despite the small population on the islands in the United States

Samoans are very visible in these sports.• Soccer is a popular sport with the team being ranked 149th in the world at the time of this article.

AMERICAN• The major professional sports in America are baseball, football, hockey, golf, tennis, soccer, and Nascar.• America has put a lot of interest in sports, paying players millions of dollars to play the game. Players go

overseas to play in other countries but not many due to the exposure they would get in the United States.

• America has both male and female teams in many different sports. • Soccer was founded in 1993 and began play in 1996 as a result of the U.S. hosting of the 1994 F.I.F.A.

World Cup.– Soccer is the youngest of the major sports in the United States.

• Basketball took it’s current form in 1949, the NFL in 1920, and the NHL in 1917 with twenty-three teams in the United States and seven in Canada.

Verbal Communication

The Role of Language in Samoan Verbal Communication

• Classified as a member of the Polynesian language family and part of a subgroup of the Austronesian family of languages

• Noted for a lack of consonants and increased use of vowels

•Another unique aspect is the use of particles.• These are small words that

function independently.

• This is similar to how the English language uses prepositions, articles, and conjuctions

Formal and Informal Language•High talking chiefs speak a formal form of polite communication that only they understand

•Very similar to how communication works in American Society

•Orators or “Tulafale” operate as the chief of the family and communicate family stories and histories

•An informal version of the language is spoken by the common people as well as the “Tulafale” of the family

•Cherished as a symbol of cultural identity

Tulafale (Orator)•Samoan orators or “talking chiefs”, also known as Tulafale are the spokemen for the village and each family.

•Orators use a specialized form of rhetoric to tell the histories of the people, political and religious insights and to inform the village of important news

•Oratory is delivered in a clear and ringing cadence that is often yelled out

Non Verbal Traditions In The Samoan Culture

“Siva Afi“ Fire Knife Dance•The fire knife is a traditional Samoan cultural implement that is used in ceremonial dances.

•Knife dancing has a history which goes back hundreds of years. Tribal performers of fire knife dancing (or Siva Afi as it is called in Samoa) dance while twirling the knife and doing other acrobatic stunts.

Sasa Samoan Group Dance

•Generally the sasa is performed by a large group of people, it is normally performed sitting down, but there are parts of the dance which require the group to stand up.

•Every Sasa is different.• A Sasa will always begin with the fa'aluma yelling tulolo which tells the group to bow their heads, and nofo for the group to sit up again, in a Sasa you will hear chants like "Talofa" (greetings) in the beginning and "Tofa" (farewell) at the end.

Pe’a Traditional Male Tattoo

•The Pe'a is the popular name of the traditional male tattoo of Samoa.

•The pe'a covers the body from waist to knees. In Samoan custom, a pe'a is only done the traditional way, with aspects of cultural ceremony and ritual, and not with European tools or needles.

• Samoan males with a pe'a are called soga'imiti and are respected for their courage. The traditional female tattoo in Samoa is the malu.

• In Samoan society, the pe'a and the malu are viewed with cultural pride and identity as well as a hallmark of manhood and womanhood.

Clothing Traditions:Formal & Informal

How do the Samoan Artifacts Reflect their Culture?

• Samoan artifacts include, but are not limited to: – tattooing,– formal clothing– informal clothing– Jewelry

• Modesty is important to Samoans and it is inappropriate to show the area between the knees and thigh.

Informal Clothing• Informal clothing is more commonly

seen at present.• All Samoan clothing begins with a

traditional lava-lava, a single piece of cloth worn wrapped around the waist as a skirt worn by both men and women.

• Some Samoans wear a bright colorful floral blouse or top with the lava-lava

• Most Samoans prefer to wear a t-shirt over their lava-lava, as this is considered appropriate for everyday wear.

• Samoan women typically wear a puletasi which is similar to a mu’umu’u and was introduced by the early Christian missionaries.

Formal Clothing• Typically, for formal wear Samoans stick with the lava-lava or a ‘ie

faitage (a sarong with pockets) but add more formal tops, such as a white shirt, tie, suit coat, or leather sandals.

• Most Samoans prefer to wear white to church on Sundays.• Bikinis, swimming suits, and sometimes swimming pants are banned

at many traditional villages.• Darker colored tops are considered more appropriate for formal

occasions.• Civil servants often wear darkly colored uniforms.

Fa'a Samoa meaning “the Samoan way” makes up the traditions, language and culture of Samoa.

Rituals

• Marks the transition into adulthood.– Traditionally only mandatory for

men and the chief’s daughter.

• A man with a full tattoo is seen as having courage and one without any tattoos is marked for ridicule.

• Tattoos have a basic form with a stylized version of a bat and a small black triangle on the back.

Tattoos

•Tattooist is highly respected and served first at ceremonies. They are also feared and were thought to possess magic.

•At the end of the tattooing, traditionally an egg is cracked over the head of the person getting it and the legs are anointed with coconut oil/tumeric as a symbol of life.

Ryman, Anders (2004, June 01). Peti's Malu: Traditions of Samoan Tattooing. World & I, (6), 160, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com

• Revolves around the creation and ritual consumption of a beverage made from the ‘ava root.

• Guests are arranged according to rank and served in the same fashion.

• Provides a ceremonial area for meeting and decision-making.

• Tradition has survived missionaries and has even migrated with Samoans to the U.S.

• Traditionally the drink is prepared in one large bowl and a single cup is used to drink amongst the chiefs according to rank

‘Ava Ceremonies

Ryman, Anders (2004, April 01). The Sacred Root. World & I, (4), 174, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com

Gender Roles •Traditionally, Samoa has been a male-dominated society. Today, women are allowed more social power due to transition of a cash based economy (Advamea Inc., 2012).

•There are more than 2 genders in Samoan Culture: Male, Female, & Fa’fafine

•Historically men would work and cook, while women would tend to the children and household

•A family unit consists of all extended family and is presided over by one male.

Fa’aFafine: A 3rd Gender•Fa’afafine are known as “homosexuals” in American culture. • There are no social stigmas against the

Fa’afafine in Samoan Culture•They have a varied sex life, but mainly their relations are with men.•Fa’afafine are transvestite males who fulfill the duties of a women• They perform all of the domestic roles a

women would in a household• They are very hard workers

Schmidt, J. R. (2001). Redefining fa'afafine: Western discourses and the construction of transgenderism in samoa . Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context, 6,

•Primary role is to be the Head of the Household•Strives to be elected Matai Chief• If elected he will preside over all extended family• The Matai manage all land and properties held by the family• Settle domestic disputes• Coordinate household labor• Promote unity and maintain tradition

•Males will predominantly hold jobs and be the bread winner•Jobs tend to be centered around hard manual labor (Binden et. al. 1997)•Bindon, J. R., Knight, A., Dressler, W. W., & Crews, D. E. (1997). Social context and psychosocial influences on blood pressure among american samoans. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 103, 07-18.•Advameg, Inc. (2012). Culture of american samoa. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/American- Samoa.html

Males

•A woman’s primary role is to be a wife and child bearer•A woman’s status reflects her husband’s title•Must maintain a clean and orderly household•Women take care of the children•They will partake in numerous crafts and domestic labor• Sewing, weaving mats, laundry, most of the cooking (TODAY)

•Today women are able to hold jobs much like men• They also have more social power in Samoan Society• Nursing has been a long accepted role for women• Women in some cases may be the Matai (Binden et. al., 1997).•Bindon, J. R., Knight, A., Dressler, W. W., & Crews, D. E. (1997). Social context and psychosocial influences on blood pressure among american samoans. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 103, 07-18.•Advameg, Inc. (2012). Culture of american samoa. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/American- Samoa.html

Females

How Samoan & Other Cultures Can Communicate Effectively

•Samoa is a beautiful, fascinating tropical destination, and it also has an extraordinarily welcoming culture.

•As a non- samoan in order to be able to communicate better with a samoan you must learn to first understand its culture and tradition.

UNDERSTANDING SAMOAN CULTURE• The Samoan hierarchy is taught at a young age.

– “While children are young, they are taught that there are certain ways to do certain things. There are different ways to look at people. There are different ways to talk around people. Everything is done with fa'aaloalo. Fa'aaloalo is the first thing taught.

• Fa'aaloalo is more than respect. It is a way of living in a community with harmony. Fa'aaloalo is culture and its what keeps the Samoans together.– Taking off shoes when entering the home of a host. This shows fa'aaloalo because it is treating a person’s home

like holy ground that can’t be walked on with shoes. – Taking a gift known as a fa'aoso when visiting a family. One should never go empty handed when invited to

someone’s home. In return, the hosting family gives the guest the best of what they have. – Lowering oneself and saying tulou (pardon me) when passing in front of or near a person. – Helping elderly people. Giving up your seat for an elder, or stopping to assist an elderly person with a heavy load

or chore is not uncommon in Samoa. – Not raising your voice after dark. Once the sun sets at about 6:00 p.m. in Samoa, each person is expected to be in

his/her home with family. Anyone who is not inside must show respect for the family by their peaceful silence.

• Fa'aaloalo is a governing attitude or behavior that determines ones Samoanness. To know the fa'asamoa one must understand fa'aaloalo because it is the fa'asamoa in a sense that the culture revolves around the fa'aaloalo.

SAMOAN CULTURECOMMUNICATION

•When you communicate with Pastors or High Chiefs you must communicate with in the formal pronunciation of the language with a T vs. speaking in the relaxed version of the language with a K.

•Where as the word Tasi (formal) is spelled with a T you can pronounce is Kasi (informal) with a K.

FAMILY•The Samoan culture family plays a huge role in the household. Everybody works and lives together to support the family. Samoans are very close and this has carried on with Samoans who have left the islands.•In samoa weddings and funerals are a big part of their culture. With both weddings and funerals there is always a formal presentation called the sua that is given to those of high status. “(L.Tanner, personal communication, 1/18/2012)”

SUA•Sua is usually made up of vailolo (drink with money in it; originally it was a coconut and a coconut frond called tuaniu) currently they use a soda can with money slipped under the top ring, amoamosa (tray of biscuits and material or a combination of other small foodstuffs like a can of corn beef), and a suatalisua (a box of corn beef and chicken or similar). This is followed by a fine mat or several fine mats. Family members will usually present the sua before the wedding or funeral and than the items that are received are than returned as a thank you for supporting.

Mealtime•Mealtime at the village is the best example of everyone knowing the proper role in the village faaaloalo. The family presides and leads all village activities from the matai (high chief of the village). When mealtime comes around, his family eats first. Following the matai’s family would be the next ranked chief and his family.

CONCLUSIONS

3-5 Questions about Samoan Culture

1. How does verbal communication and language play a role in Samoan culture, Why?

2. What are some non-verbal differences in communication between Samoan and American Culture?

3. What is one major difference between Samoan & American culture, how do you think this affects communication?

4. How do the rituals of the United States compare to the rituals presented

here?

5. What is the role of a Fa’afafine. Do you think American culture would openly accept this 3rd gender? Why or Why not.

References•Afatasi.(2005-2012 SA'O Inc) Sa’o fire knives & more. Retrieved,1/19/2012. www.saolelei.com.

•Advameg, Inc. (2012). Culture of American Samoa. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/American- Samoa.html

•Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Ivy, D. K. (2011). The Blue Book of Communication Studies (TCC Custom Edition ed., pp. 65-89). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

•Bindon, J. R., Knight, A., Dressler, W. W., & Crews, D. E. (1997). Social context and psychosocial influences on blood pressure among american samoans. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 103, 07-18.

•Cox, P. (2012). Samoan americans. Samoan News. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Pa-Sp/Samoan-Americans.html

•Holmes, L. D. (1969). Samoan oratory. The Journal of American Folklore, 82, 326. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/pss/539779

•L.Tanner, personal communication, 1/18/2012

•Lotonuu. 2010, August. Samoan Clothing – Does it matter what you wear while you’re there?. Retrieved from http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/samoan-clothing-does-it-matter-what-you-wear-while-youre-there-3018791.html

•Maps of World. Samoa Clothing. Retrieved from http://www.mapsofworld.com/samoa/people-culture-festivals/clothing.html

•Ritz, M. K. (2006, August 06). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Aug/02/il/FP608020307.html

•Ryman, Anders (2004, June 01). Peti's Malu: Traditions of Samoan Tattooing. World & I, (6), 160, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com

•Ryman, Anders (2004, April 01). The Sacred Root. World & I, (4), 174, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com

•Schmidt, J. R. (2001). Redefining fa'afafine: Western discourses and the construction of transgenderism in samoa . Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context, 6,

•VisitSamoa.ws(2012) The official Samoa tourist site. A page on local culture. Retrieved on 2/9/2012

•Wikipedia. 2012, February. Culture of Samoa. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Samoa