Body, Self, and Society: The View from FijiAnne E. Becker examines the cultural context of the embodied self through her ethnography of bodily aesthetics, food exchange, care, and social relationships in Fiji. She contrasts the cultivation of the body/self in Fijian and American society, arguing that the motivation of Americans to work on their bodies' shapes as a personal endeavor is permitted by their notion that the self is individuated and autonomous. On the other hand, because Fijians concern themselves with the cultivation of social relationships largely expressed through nurturing and food exchange, there is a vested interest in cultivating others' bodies rather than one's own. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Identity and Ethos in Fiji | 7 |
Discourses on Alienation and Integration | 27 |
An Ethos of Care | 57 |
The Body and Its Secrets Revealed | 85 |
Spirit Possession and Social Repossession | 104 |
Body and Self | 127 |
On Being Gwalili in the West | 135 |
Glossary and Language Notes | 137 |
Research Methods | 143 |
Graphic Representations of the Data | 155 |
Notes | 173 |
| 191 | |
| 201 | |
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Common terms and phrases
afflicted alienation anorexia nervosa appetite Ateca attractive unattractive Attractiveness Rating baby bau dau behavior cassava cawa Chapter child coko collective context cookhouse cooking cultivation cultural diet dranu embodied experience ethnic Fijian ethnographic example exchange feeding female body shapes female shape Fiji Fijian languages Fijian women fish gain maintain guests hosts household ibulibuli icavu ideal identity illness kana kania kinship kodaki lemuju levu Liku lose Figure macake magisi manifest mataqwali meal Melanesia Modification of Weight moral mother Nadroga Nahigatoka niju nurturing obese okwe one's overweight Percentage poorly cared postpartum pregnancy presented Ratings by women Ravuvu reflect relations relationship relative sexual share Sigatoka Sigatoka River Sikai vahila social spirit survey Suva symbols tabu Tasi bibita thin tion traditional transgressions Valevu Vatulele vikawaitaki vina vinasia viqwaravi Viti Levu Western woman explained women for female Yaca yalo ni cala yaqona Yavulo young