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Menarche Ceremonies & Social Change in Fiji

Anna Clauson

SOCS 462 Senior Project II California Polytechnic Poly San Luis Obispo Winter 2012

Acknowledgements I owe a tremendous ‘thank you’ to the National Science Foundation for their investment in undergraduate research—without their financial support this project would not have been possible. I would also like to thank Anne Becker for her work on the communal body in Fiji. Her ethnography provided the initial springboard for this work, which sent me free falling into the ambiguities of village life. I am immensely grateful for the individuals of Kadavu Island who welcomed and nourished me during my fieldwork—you were my hosts and my teachers, and I will never forget your kindness. I owe a special thanks to each woman who participated in this research for sharing her thoughts, perspectives, and personal experiences. Thank you to Ronetava Ronaivakulua for his friendship and expertise in coordinating the logistics of the field site, and also to Salome Vinakadina and Qai Kula for being skillful and persevering research assistants. Lastly, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Dawn Neill, who opened the door to my first fieldwork experience and walked through it with me—I am forever grateful for her brilliance, constancy, and encouragement.

Abstract: Fiji is undergoing rapid urbanization. Over fifty percent of Fiji’s population has moved from traditional villages to the city. Changes in lifestyle associated with urbanization bring challenges to traditional Fijian values and ways of life. The occurrence of menarche ceremonies in Fiji is a lens by which to explore the implications of these social changes on Fijian women. Inductive interviews with sixteen Fijian women reveal that birth order, proximity to home villages, and maternal agency are three general factors that determine the occurrence of menarche ceremonies. Education is also identified as an impacting force on first menstruation events in Fiji, and...