Body, Self, and Society : The View From Fiji

Anne E. Becker examines the cultural context of the embodied self through her ethnography of bodily aesthetics, food exchange, care, and social relationships in Fiji. She contrasts the cultivation of the body/self in Fijian and American society, arguing that the motivation of Americans to work on their bodies' shapes as a personal endeavor is permitted by their notion that the self is individuated and autonomous. On the other hand, because Fijians concern themselves with the cultivation of social relationships largely expressed through nurturing and food exchange, there is a vested interest in cultivating others' bodies rather than one's own. Contents Figures Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1. Cultural Bearings: Identity and Ethos in Fiji Chapter 2. Body Imagery, Ideals, and Cultivation: Discourses on Alienation and Integration Chapter 3. Nurturing and Food Exchange: An Ethos of Care Chapter 4. Disclosure and Exposure: The Body and Its Secrets Revealed Chapter 5. The Body as a Community Forum: Spirit Possession and Social Repossession Chapter 6. Cultural Metaphors: Body and Self Epilogue: On Being Gwalili in the West Appendix A: Glossary and Language Notes Appendix B: Research Methods Appendix C: Graphic Representations of the Data Notes Bibliography Index