An Historical Perspective of Helping Practices Associated with Birth, Marriage and Death Among Chamorros in Guam (review)

Early practices of protecting infants by dressing them in red garments, and applying salt or perfume against evil forces, have been replaced by using religious medals and holy water, and receiving graces during baptism. [...]although the author does not address them, she does ask important questions...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Contemporary Pacific 2002, Vol.14 (2), p.496-499
Main Author: McGrath, Barbara Burns
Format: Review
Language:English
Subjects:
Baptism
Culture
Infants
Life cycles
Marriage
Midwifery
Missionaries
Negotiation
Pacific Region
Politics
Regional studies
Rites of passage
Social work
Thompson, Laura
Traditions
Westernization
World War II
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Summary:Early practices of protecting infants by dressing them in red garments, and applying salt or perfume against evil forces, have been replaced by using religious medals and holy water, and receiving graces during baptism. [...]although the author does not address them, she does ask important questions about the impact of US federal aid programs on traditional support practices among Chamorros, and about the present-day relationship between Chamorros and Japanese. Analysis of the ways in which social, economic, and political institutions interact with systems of exchange within family networks potentially has broad application in other places in the Pacific because, as the author suggests, the experience of Chamorros in Guam and "the unanticipated consequences of swift westernization can be used by neighboring Micronesian islands as they negotiate political compacts with the US."
ISSN:1043-898X
1527-9464
1527-9464
DOI:10.1353/cp.2002.0061