During a psychology class we were asked to present a project on a culture of our choice. My choice of Hawaii was mostly because of the seperated culture between the U.S. and the last state of Hawaii.

1. Analyzing the
Hawaiian Culture
Connor Milliken
Professor Geoffroy
Cross-Cultural Psychology
May 2, 2012

2. Overview
• Brief History
• Hawaiian Culture Defined
• The “Aloha Spirit”
• Speaking Hawaiian
• Traditions
• Biases & Stereotypes
• Human Development
• Thinking Approach

3. Brief History
• 1,500 Years Ago,
– Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands first set foot on Hawaii's Big Island. With only the stars to
guide them, they sailed over 2000 miles in canoes to migrate to the islands.
• 500 Years Later
– Settlers from Tahiti arrived, bringing their beliefs in gods.
• 1778
– Captain James Cook (British Explorer) landed on Kauai. Cook opened up western travel to the islands.
• 1810
– King Kamehameha unified all of the Hawaiian Islands into one royal kingdom.
• 1820
– First Protestant missionaries arrived on Hawaii’s Big Island, western culture expanded on the islands.
• 1893
– American Colonists who controlled much of Hawaii's economy, overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom.
• 1898
– Hawaii became a territory of the United States.
• 1941
– Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Oahu. Four years later, Japan surrendered.
• 1959
– Hawaii became the 50th State of the United States.

4. Hawaiian Culture Defined
(The Skin)
• Behavior
– Laid Back “Aloha Spirit” and very down to Earth
• Clothes
– Flip-flops, shorts, and Tees (includes tacky Hawaiian Shirts)
– Traditional Hawaii; Grass Skirt, Coconut Bra, and Flower Lei
• Food
– Mostly Seafood (Rare Fish) and Meat (Famous Pig Roast)
• Language
– Hawaiian and English
• Housing
– Typical Housing in America
– Traditional Hawaii; Polynesian

5. The “Aloha Spirit”
(Cultural Norms – The Pulp)
• Cultural Attitude & Emotion
– Aloha is said to be the coordination of mind and heart
within each person; it brings each person to the self; each
person must think and emote good feelings toward others
– The Aloha Spirit is a large component of Native Hawaiian
culture
– Removing your shoes when entering a home is common
– Islanders pride themselves on their laid-back manner
– People slow down and enjoy life
– Car horns are used to greet friends in Hawaii
– Problems are let go and forgotten

6. Speaking Hawaiian
• Hello/Goodbye • Turtle
– “Aloha” – “Honu”
• Thank You • I Love You
– “Mahalo” – “Aloha Au Ia ʻOe”
• Sorry/Excuse Me • Till We Meet Again
– “E kala mai iaʻu!” – “A hui hou”
• Please • Your Welcome
– “Hōʻolu” – “ ’A ‘ole pilikia”
• How Are You? • Yes
– “Pehea ʻoe?” – “ ’Ae”
• Take Care • No
– “Malama Pono” – “a'ole”

7. Traditions
• Flower Lei • Legends and Beliefs
– A lei should be offered graciously – Ancient Hawaiians were known to
with a kiss and removed only in be storytellers. Legends were a way
private of documenting history,
– It's considered rude to remove a lei knowledge, facts and beliefs from
once it's accepted generation to generation
• Hula – Some Legends:
• Maui: Demi God/Pulled Island from Sea
– Hula represents the spirit of Hawaii • Pele: Goddess of Fire/Volcanoes
through graceful movements and • Kumulipo: Creator of Hawaiian Islands
captivating music – Rain and Rainbows are considered
– Hawaiians actually believe that the blessings from the Gods
first hula was performed by a god – Causes of Bad Luck or Bad Omens
or goddess • Wearing a lei while pregnant
– The dance is considered more as a • Taking rocks from the islands
sacred ritual than as a form of • Festivals
entertainment – Merrie Monarch Hula Festival
– Two types of Hula: (1) Hula Kahiko, – Aloha Festival
and (2) Hula Auana
– Lei Day

8. Human Development
(The Core)
• Collectivist vs. Individualistic
– Hawaiian culture is based on the assumptions of a
collectivist society where the groups goals hold
more importance than those of the individual.
Relationships are the core to Hawaiian values. In
particular, the relationship of the individual to the
family, the community, the land, and the spiritual
world is emphasized. The ʻOhanaʻ (family) is the
fundamental unit in Hawaiian culture.

9. Human Development (cont.)
(The Core)
• Life Milestones
– All milestones are celebrated with a Luau to
respect the elder Hawaiian culture. Most
milestones that we celebrate are also celebrated
by Hawaiians.
• Birthdays
• Graduations
• Weddings

10. Thinking Approach
(The Core)
• Illness Treatments
– A person with a disability can substantially
influence the amount of support or the
acceptance that a person receives from family and
friends; and how much that person matches the
common social identity.
• Western vs. Eastern
– Todays Culture: Western
– Culture Before Migration: Eastern

11. Summary
• Brief History
• Hawaiian Culture Defined
• The “Aloha Spirit”
• Speaking Hawaiian
• Traditions
• Biases & Stereotypes
• Human Development
• Thinking Approach

12. Questions

13. References
• http://www.waimea.com/culture.html
• http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/getting-
into-hawaiian-culture.html
• http://www.to-hawaii.com/hawaiian-culture.php
• http://www.gohawaii.com/statewide/travel-
tips/history
• http://www.hawaiihistory.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig
.page&CategoryID=280
• http://www.ntac.hawaii.edu/downloads/products/brie
fs/culture/pdf/ACB-Vol2-Iss7-Hawaii.pdf
• http://www.alohafriendsluau.com/words.html

14. Side-Note for Professor
• Hey Professor,
I just wanted to write this little note to thank you for a
wonderful class experience. I have taken several online classes
and have truly felt that this class has given me a different
outlook on life and will benefit me in my life journey. Your
lessons showed me that there is more to life than what
people may think and that we must accept each other
culturally because even though we may come from separate
cultures, we all have many ideals in common that bring us all
together. I feel touched to have been able to learn from you as
a student. Thank you so much for this wonderful experience, I
hope to take another class with you before I graduate (hopefully
in class too), and will hopefully meet you too! Thank You!!