Course Descriptions

HWST 107 - Hawai‘I: Center Of The Pacific

• Prerequisite: Placement in ENG 22/60 or ESL 23

This course examines traditional Hawaiian and Pacifi c cultures and how outside western ideas and ideals have impacted upon island societies. Particular focus is on colonization and modernization and the confl icts they impose upon native Hawaiian and other Pacifi c peoples.

3 hrs. lect. per week

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of HWST 107, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate basic knowledge of Pacific geography, including Hawaiian place names and land divisions.
• Pronounce Hawaiian words correctly and have a basic understanding of the cultural and political significance of indigenous languages in the Pacific.
• Explain the importance of pono, kuleana and aloha ‘āina as central ideals in a Hawaiian worldview.
• Recognize and describe the impacts of colonization on traditional Hawaiian society and the continued effects on contemporary Hawai’i.
• Understand different nationalist, land-reclamation and liberation movements in the Pacific, with particular attention to Hawaiian initiatives for sovereignty and self-determination.
• Appreciate the Pacific as a complex political and cultural region.
• Develop your own critical perspectives and analyses on contemporary social, political, and economic issues in Hawaii and the Pacific.
• Integrate the materials and themes from the course into your own life as a resident, whether Native or non-Native, of Hawaii.