I: Introduction-Feminism as Cultural Capital in the Matrilineal Marshall Islands A. Topic area: Missionization (Christianization) and Colonization have left a mark on women in the Asia-Pacific Region where in many ways, aspects of liberal democracy and globalization have greatly devalued roles of women and their associated contributions to society leading to active and indirect forms of resistances disguised as conformity. This research proposal provides in depth ethnographic field research through several case studies on how matrilineal societies and their women, such as those in the Marshall Islands where group consensus affords indirect exchanges of resistances (disguised as actual conformity), have adapted to invented traditions in an effort to safely navigate their free space when existing as themselves in a high risk society. B. Research question: Many have bound to explain how people and nations construct themselves in light of an increasing modernizing world (e.g. Habitus, Norms, Culture, etc). Appidurai notes that indigenous peoples in Asia are resisting under the veil of conformity signifying the irony of modernization where resistance prevails despite being enmeshed in the new world order. Tudor reaffirms the many aspects of resistances in Korea where these concepts of symbolic resistances to construct imagined selves and imagined communities have retained despite being globalized. In fact, Gillory and Adams assert that how one constructed one’s self and how one adapted to those relative constructions was situational for circumstances differ and change. However, a gendered lens to globalization requires us to ask ourselves whether there is any case study in the Asia Pacific Region of matrilineal societies constructing themselves based on adapting the global context to their cultural roles and their attempt of resisting gender ascribed roles stemming from invented traditions and introduced stressors that requires adaptation measures especially when cultural roles conflict with working roles? C. Significance to knowledge: Researching former Pacific Trust Territory’s women’s adaptive capacity to a changing world, particularly in resisting negative aspects of invented traditions that seek to marginalize them further, informs us of the human capability and the female surviving capacity in safely navigating the dangers of globalization to prevent further oppression. A gendered lens to any society in the Asia Pacific Region (e.g. Marshall Islands) gives an extra layer of analysis in showcasing the negative aspects of patrilineal values on a matrilineal society, which makes it extremely difficult in the work place leading to further stratification. This paper, in a nutshell, highlights how the struggling shifts of gender norms in adapting to a globalized context alters traditionally inscribed gender roles and invented traditions for circumstances change and differ. Given the low volume of published research amidst the increasing traffic of publications with no insider reference of former UN Pacific Trust Territories administered by the US, it is important to contribute to the growing understanding of a misunderstood race of people in the Pacific who once were wards of Germany, Japan, and USA. This paper is basically an extra layer in understanding the various determinants that stress Pacific women to thrive to survive the anxieties of the new world order of globalization while at the same time retaining their sense of dignity when pressured by a cultural group survival mentality. II. Literature Review: Publications and Ethnographic Field Work A. Previous Research: Others & Yours
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