79-254 The Pacific Islands: History and Culture

Units: 9.0 Department: History Related URLs: http://www.history.cmu.edu This semester, we are focusing on Hawaii--a Pacific Island, an American state, and a popular tourist spot. Hawaii at once fills our imagination and occupies a strategic niche in United States policies. Since its discovery by Captain Cook, Hawaii has attracted visitors and has welcomed visitors not only from the Untied States but from all over the world. The story has not always been positive: we will take a historical perspective on the changes in Hawaii over the past two and a half centuries, and we will explore the culture of the islands. We will read accounts by outsiders and accounts by kamaaina, children of the land, residents of Hawaii. We will also consider representations of the islands in media other than text, films, for instance, and visual arts. The goal is to explore the complexity of a place that is often stereotyped as paradise, but exemplifies problems of conquest and commercialization, of ethnic groups and boundaries, of commercialization and globalization, and of identity politics and independence movements. Readings include anthropological texts, literature, and selected essays.

Popularity index Rank for this semester: #669 Rank in this department: #33   Students also scheduled 69-101 Racquetball 12-605 Design and Construction 39-606 Engineering Product Design Projects 79-218 The Roots of Rock & Roll 12-631 Structural Design 12-750 Infrastructure Management 62-325 View Camera 98-054 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Rea... 79-220 Early Christianity 51-274 Design and Social Change

Spring 2005 times

Sec	Time	Day	Instructor	Location
A	10:30 - 11:50 am	T	Schachter	CFA 211
		R	Schachter	CFA 211