79-254: Hawaii: America's Pacific Island State
This semester, we are focusing on Hawaii--a Pacific Island, an Americanstate, and a popular tourist spot. Hawaii at once fills our imaginationand occupies a strategic niche in United States policies. The story has not always been positive: we will take a historical perspective on the changes in Hawaii over the past two and a half centuries, and we will explore the culture of the islands. We will read accounts by ¿outsiders¿ and accounts by kama¿aina, ¿children of the land,¿ residents of Hawaii. We will also consider representations of the islands in media other than text, films, for instance, and visual arts. The goal is to explore the complexity of a place that is often stereotyped as ¿paradise,¿ butexemplifies problems of conquest and commercialization, of ethnic groups andboundaries, of commercialization and globalization, and of identity politicsand independence movements. Readings include anthropological texts,literature, and selected essays.
| A | TR | 10:30 am - 11:50 am | DH 1211 | Schachter |