Young Adult Perceptions and Participation in the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance Movement

Abstract

While the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance Movement has existed and thrived since the late 1960's, there has been little recent investigation into how the movement has changed over time or its young adult participants. This study investigated young adults' participation in the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance Movement, gender differences within this involvement, conceptions of traditional Hawaiian culture and identity, and hopes for the future of the movement. The investigation aimed to cover the gap in research in young adults and gender within the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance Movement, in order to inform members' future practices. This study utilizes three different methodologies: a detailed literature/historical analysis, participant observation in the Hawaiian Islands, and fourteen semi-structured interviews with movement members. Twelve of the informants were between the ages of 21- 35 years old, whereas two informants were older in order to investigate generation differences. The findings indicated that education, perpetuation of knowledge, conservation and sustainability, language revitalization, and identity were at the center of the movement for participants. The data indicated that there were no real differences between the genders, but rather that the older participants were more political and specific in their involvement than the younger participants.