A divided community seeks Lōkahi: an exploration of social change and 'sense of place' in Kailua

Abstract

Using Kailua as a case study, this thesis examines social change by exploring how underlying place relations are impacted by community conflict stemming from a rapidly expanding tourism industry. Ten semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with residents who were recruited from Kailua Neighborhood Board (KNB) meetings in order to illuminate perceptions regarding Kailua's 'sense of place', issues facing the community, as well as how these issues have impacted Kailua's 'sense of place'. Interviews were supplemented with field notes taken from participant observation of monthly KNB meetings and were analyzed inductively using grounded theory methodology. Findings suggested that underlying place relations not only largely affect resident perceptions of tourism, but also undergo changes in the face of community conflict since meaningful places are socially constructed.