Globalization Of Polynesia

Polynesia consists of thousands of islands located in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. It is inhabited by indigenous tribes that rely on their cultural traditions as well as religious beliefs to accomplish their daily responsibilities. Western societies outside of Polynesia have recently come into contact with them in order to modernize the fragile region and make a profit. As a result of this acculturation, the negative consequences brought upon them changed the health and culture of the Polynesian inhabitants dramatically. Furthermore, the new illnesses that resulted from modernization forced these islanders to choose different treatment methods such as modern medicine and traditional healing that were hindered by religious and cultural beliefs. It was even noted that the bodies of these islanders were not prone to the new diseases and were healthy based on their foraging tactics prior to outside contact. The progress that Polynesians were forced to take due to exploitation were furthered stigmatized by barriers such as communication, religion, and culture.

According to the statistical data provided by the anthropologist Capstick, the detrimental effects of globalization are illustrated by the increased risks of diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. In addition, progress has forced Polynesians to forget their traditional ways of life and mislead to the usage of processed foods and new technology. Not only does this deteriorates their culture but also prevents the passing of rituals from the parents to their children. In relation to Polynesian religious beliefs, the cause of an illness is blamed on the morals of a person that attacks their spirit rather than physiological reasons. As one can se...

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...th of this culture based on generalization made by outside governments. From the emic perspective, they were perfectly healthy and independent but from the etic perspective they were seen as underdeveloped. The reason the consequences of globalization were so detrimental is due to the lack of cultural awareness and religious belief Polynesians have. A smooth transition cannot be made in these types of societies without taking into account cultural factors. The difference in medical treatment to their new illnesses placed more stress on their lives and changed the trust they had on modern medicine due to lack of accurate diagnosis. It is difficult to change the mindset of a society since cultural and religious rituals play a large role to their existence. Globalization unfortunately exploits these factors and can only be changed by avoiding ethnocentrism ideologies.