Becoming Tongan: An Ethnography of Childhood (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780824817954)

In this first detailed account of growing up in Tonga, Helen Morton focuses on the influence of anga fakatonga ("the Tongan way") in all facets of Tongan childhood, from the antenatal period to late adolescence. Childhood is a crucial period when cultural identity and notions of tradition are constructed, as well as beliefs about self, personhood, and emotion. Based on her anthropological fieldwork and her experiences in Tonga over several years, Morton traces the Tongan socialization process--from being vale (ignorant, socially incompetent) to becoming poto (clever, socially competent)--in fascinating detail. The socialization of emotion is also given detailed attention, especially the management of anger and emphasis on emotional restraint.

Author: Helen Morton
ISBN-10: 0824817958
ISBN-13: 9780824817954
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Language: English
Published: 08/01/1996
Pages: 360
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.09lbs
Size: 9.28h x 6.16w x 0.87d