Contemporary+Issues

=Contemporary Issues=

Effects of Globalization

Globalization has helped the Samoan culture move from using baskets to buckets, from strict religious authority to a questioning democracy, and from a work in progress to a cash economy. Samoan culture has been greatly affected by the institution of Christianity, Colonialism, and the stronghold of Capitalism. A major issue that has been well documented is the affect of globalization on Samoan diet. Before the Europeans began settling in Samoa, the main source of subsistence came from farming and fishing. "Six staple vegetable foods monopolized the Samoan diet - taro, yam, //ta'amu,// coconut, breadfruit, and banana" (Watters: 340). Chiefly status in traditional Samoan society was based on food production, preparation, and eating. Men were primarily required to the the farming and harvest while women traditionally gathered fish and shellfish from the water.

As Europeans began colonizing Samoa in the 19th century, they brought with them their food preferences and diet. Samoans quickly adopted the European style of canned fish and meats and the use of flour for food production. The transition of the Samoan diet accelerated during World War II, when the U.S. began utilizing a Naval base located in American Samoa. By 1952, most Samoans had completely given up on farming and fishing and relied more on the American way of doing things. Farming and fishing had become an ineffecient way of providing food for the spike in the Samoan population. Thus, there became a heavy reliance on imported food to sustain the increased population. However, there were attempts by chiefs of small villages to resist the change. The chiefs goal was to try and maintain the traditional diet of the island-partly due to maintain their culture, partly due to maintain their role as a leader in the community. The chiefs were fighting an uphill battle. By 1980 the import of meat, fish, and rice had grown by more than 50-fold (Bindon, 1988). Reefs had been over fished and the staple crops (coconut, banana, taro, etc) were being sold in markets.

Globalization's effects in Samoa has also given way to a change from subsistence production to wage labor among the Samoan workforce. Many Samoans have changed from living with an extended family that exclusively farms and fish to a smaller nuclear family where there is more than one income. The development of the nuclear family and focus on wage labor over subsistence production has drastically altered the Samoan way of life (Bindon: 8). The majority of their diet now comes from markets, fast food, and imports. This has resulted in an increase in population that has far outgrown its capacity to rely solely on farming and fishing.

However, even with its far reaching effects, globalization has not been able to completely alter the resilient Samoan culture. Samoan culture has stayed true to its traditional //'aiga// structure and the overall belief in sharing the benefit amongst each other. This is truly a twist on the Samoan government subsidies programs but it has kept the traditional Samoan beliefs in tact. An example of this can be seen when //matai's// call upon his members during public ceremonies for gift ceremonies. The prestige and power of the //'aiga// depends on the ease of mobilization of resources. Instead of using agricultural and fishing, now //matai's// use the power of controlling cash flow, as families have moved into more wage labor intensive jobs. Even with the unstoppable effects of globalization, it is clear that the current Samoan population is resilient in retaining much of their traditional ways in food production, preparation, and consumption.