An Ethnography of Childhood
Helen Morton
Childhood is seen as a crucial period when cultural identity and notions of tradition are constructed, as well as beliefs about self, personhood, and emotion. Based on anthropological fieldwork and her own experiences in Tonga over several years, Morton traces the socialization process - from being vale (ignorant, socially incompetent) to poto (clever, socially competent).
Becoming poto is primarily a matter or understanding hierarchical relations: how they operate in practice, the cultural values associated with them, their impact on the expression of emotion, and the complex intersections of hierarchy and gender. The book looks at these forms of knowledge and the primary contexts in which they are acquired and practiced, such as within the family, at school, and at play. It also examines the ways this knowledge is acquired, including observation and imitation, language socialization, and physical punishment.
The final chapter looks at the impact of social and cultural change on the Tongan way and raises questions about the future of Tonga and its children.
All Rights Reserved
Helen Morton Lee
H.Lee@latrobe.edu.au
School of Sociology, Politics and Anthropology
La Trobe University
Bundoora 3083, Victoria,
Australia
[ref: http://www.tongatapu.net.to]
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