Cultural Studies for Oceania

Abstract

A new research perspective is emerging in Oceania, one based on combining practices drawn from both Pacific Islander and continental cultures. This emerging perspective, here labeled “cultural studies for Oceania,” differs from most Pacific Studies research as well as from continental cultural studies. This new practice is characterized by combinations of the following: an emphasis on personal identities and on specifying distinct research roles for Pacific Islanders and non-Natives; efforts to forge a unifying regional identity; research focused on processes more than on final products; reciprocity between researchers and those they study; prominent use of Oceania epistemologies; unconventional researchreporting genres; reliance on oral practices and traditions; dependence on Pacific Islander models, concepts, and theories. Research programs that embrace these features offer a promising alternative to the dominant research practices in the region, which continue to perpetuate earlier colonizations.