Analysis Of Relationships In Fijian Society :: essays research papers

     Fijian relationships between men and women gain undergone many changes since the introduction of occidental influences. These changes ar due to the desire to draw more "Westernized" and therefore, incorporating the ideals that they perceive be important within Western federation to their culture. This has caused relationships based upon an view version of "love". These Western influences, such as movies, magazines, and books make it seem as if many people allow perfunctory sex, and that they argon all in "love" relationships. They portray love as this undeniable aspect in a relationship and do non way upon the amount of time that the majority of people feel is necessary in order to fall in love.     Fijian society does non encourage relationships that are conducive to the Western view of "love" because they focus upon separation between men and women, and do not encourage go bad sexes to spend time together before they are married. Even later marriage, separation between the sexes is promoted through division of labor and male ascendance within the marriage.      Since Fijian relationships have applied the idea of "love" to relationships which are based upon separation and male domination, idealized "love" relationships are occurring. This go off be seen in premarital relationships in the fact that many of the couples do not have a friendship before they have a relationship, and ofttimes claim to be in love     Premarital relationships are not based upon large amounts of time spent together. Couples do not get to see each other often and when they do they often meet in crowded areas so that it is not suspected that they are together. It is not uncommon to have long distance relationships     Many of the conventionalistic means for choosing a spouse, such as parents influence and male domina tion, have remained as strong influences. This is because premarital relationships are based on this idealized view on "love" and therefore, are not strong decorous to basis marriage choices upon. Marriage relationships have changed due to Western influences, they provided are also retaining many of the traditional views. Traditionally marriages were arranged. However, due to Western influence Fijians are now having "love" marriages. These marriages are facing many of the same issues that premarital relationships are. Because of separation of the sexes, these marriages are not based upon significant amounts of time spent together. They are instead being based upon traditional views.      These relationships are based on little contact.