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Published on June 08, 2017
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