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Psychology Students Study Culture in Hawaii

Published on June 08, 2017

Psychology Students Study Culture in Hawaii

Eighteen psychology students from Eastern Connecticut State University traveled to Hawaii in May 2017 to study cross-cultural differences related to well-being and relationships. From western and native-Hawaiian perspectives, the Eastern students examined topics such as parenting and attachment styles, social support, emotional expression, romantic relationships and more.

“Prior to going on this trip our class learned a lot about the culture in Hawaii and how they view relationships,” said Elizabeth Navarro ’17. “However, after traveling there I found that learning about culture in a classroom is nothing like experiencing it firsthand. I thought I had a good idea of Hawaiian culture until we traveled there; it was a complete culture shock.”

The trip to Hawaii was the field component of a course taken on the Eastern campus during the academic year, and was led by Psychology Professors Madeline Fugere and Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault.

In addition to their studies, the students also visited Iolani Palace, the home of the Hawaiian royal family; the Byodo-In Temple, in commemoration of the anniversary of Japanese immigrants to Hawaii; Waimea Valley, where they toured botanical gardens and took a waterfall swim; and Pearl Harbor. They also participated in a community service project to rebuild the wall of an 800-year-old aquaculture site.

Written by Michael Rouleau