Ifaluk
Justifiable Anger Fosters Peacefulness on Ifaluk Island
The Ifaluk concept of song, justifiable anger, differs from other concepts of irritation on the island and from anger as it is defined by middle-class America. Song is not used for feelings about unpleasant or frustrating events; it is only used to describe reactions to morally-condemned actions. Justifiable anger among the Ifaluk people helps to […]
Ifaluk Food Sharing Best Described as Mutualism [journal article review]
Anthropologist Richard Sosis makes several interesting points about fish-sharing and punishment practices on Ifaluk Island in a recent, brief, article. His work appears as one of 13 rejoinders to a very thorough examination of the ethnographic literature of food sharing patterns by Michael Gurven in the journal Behavioral and Brain Research. Gurven, in the main […]
Peaceful Societies Survive Tsunami
The deadly tsunami two weeks ago in the Indian Ocean has awakened many to the plight of people who live in low-lying coastal areas and on small islands. On January 6, world leaders announced their intention to support the development of a tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean to match the system in […]
