Virginia Boucher

Cindy Rouzer

Soc1DE1

Las Positas College

26 May, 2006

Science

Science is an attempt to understand and exercise control over nature and our environment. 

The first settlers in Hawaii had an amazing grasp of some parts of science!  Their skill of oceanic navigation is remarkable in and of itself.  The precursor to utilizing that knowledge is the ability to build a vessel capable of taking to the open water with the capacity for the number of people and supplies required for a journey of unknown duration. 

These first voyages would have been across some 1000 miles of open-ocean. Bear in mind that at the beginning of this undertaking, they would not have had a specific destination in mind because, at the time, the Hawaiian Islands were undiscovered.  

Their methods of navigation are only recently being resurrected by Polynesians who wish to keep the voyaging traditions alive.  This navigation was a combination of celestial observations, such as marker stars at night and cloud formations during the day, as well as evaluating flotsam (objects floating in the water, bird and fish species that were sighted, current flow, etc.  As the number of floating objects increased and they sighted birds with limited flight range they would know that they were getting close to land days before an actual sighting would be made” (Barnes, 11)

 There was also at least a rudimentary understanding of genetics for people, animals and plants.  They transported enough people of from various families to assure a reasonable opportunity to populate their new home with an adequate gene pool.  Similarly, they brought enough animals to begin raising stock without problems with in-breeding and the staple food seeds and plants to begin farming.

One area of science specialization in modern Hawaii is oceanography.  The fertile grounds for research are in the coral beds and in the deeper trenches of submerged sheer walls from volcanic and earthquake activity. 

There are many unique species in Hawaii that aren’t (in nature) found in any other locations.  Because of this, environmental science and natural conservation also hold a prominent position.  The oceans, rain forests, desert areas and mountainous regions are home to many plants and animals whose habitats are endangered by human encroachment, pollution and the introduction of ‘foreign’ plants and animals.

These very real dangers, combined with the core Hawaiian culture of respect for nature are very apparent in the way they attempt to educate the tourists about the land and its treasures.  A favorite tag line of SCUBA dive leaders is “Take only pictures, leave only bubbles.”

Looking at science in the Islands from the sociological perspectives one can see Conflict theory in the abuse of the environment by those in power.  A prime example is the use, by the US military of one island as a military target.  There are currently efforts underway to clean up the ordinance and toxic elements left by years of bombing and shelling and to allow the land to heal in order to return it to a natural state.  Similarly, the whaling industry critically disrupted the ecology of the balanced food chain by over harvesting whales. 

From a Functional perspective, the need to understand or explain natural phenomena is one trait that seems common across cultures.  Indeed, if there isn’t a ready, reasonable explanation, as humans, we’ve been more than capable of making one up (look to Hawaiian mythology and you find Pele, who created volcanic eruptions and various other deities credited with storms, or were blamed for bad harvests, illness and all sorts of unexplainable happenings). 

Even the Functionalist perspective can be leveraged to the Interactionist view… to explain things by crediting (or blaming) a deity, it fed the need and lent credence to the power symbols of the gods and goddesses.