Feminism in Fiji: a Study of Family Structure, Perception, and the Transformation of Gender Roles by University Women.

Abstract

Past research has suggested that institutions, such as the family in rural agrarian societies, influence women's adjustment to roles in society.This project explores socialization processes involved in constructing traditional versus feminist values in Fijian female university students.Observation of and interviews with women who attend the University of the South Pacific will offer valuable insight into their choice of furthering their education.My primary hypothesis is that the presence of familial structures, such as parental encouragement and siblings who previously attended college, influences Fijian women's decisions to attend the university.This study will also explore women's views on the current gender system and the significance of roles traditionally assigned to women as a potential secondary influence on this decision.A hypothesis is that higher levels of self-reflection on one's position in society may produce recognition of existing inequalities in the social structure and encourage women to transform current gender roles.In addition to exploring the hypotheses, the research will also involve obtaining information about traditional and contemporary women's roles in Fijian culture that cannot be found through literature analysis.