Publication Date

Fall 2018

Program Name

Samoa: Social and Environmental Change in Oceania

Abstract

The Fa’aSāmoa, a concept that incorporated culture, tradition, and heritage all specific to Sāmoa, impacts the daily life of Sāmoans. Agriculture and farming also have a role in everyday life, as they impact food security, the economy, and have ties to cultural events. This paper recognizes the importance of the Fa’aSāmoa and agriculture separately and then observes how the Fa’aSāmoa impacts agriculture and is incorporated into agricultural development. Through interviews with local Sāmoans and the use of historical particularism, the cultural side of agriculture and farming is better understood and its importance in society is analyzed through customary land and chiefly titles, farming practices, the impact of colonization and globalization, the role of education, resilience to climate change, and gender roles. The Fa’aSāmoa can be argued to have either a positive or negative effect on agricultural development, but its role cannot be understated. (143)

Disciplines

Community-Based Research | Family, Life Course, and Society | Food Security | Other International and Area Studies

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