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Linguistic Relativity in Fiji: A Preliminary Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2015

Robin Taylor
Robin Taylor*
Affiliation:
Education and Psychology Department, University of the South Pacific, Suva, FIJI Sera Yavalanavanua, Queen Victoria School, Tailevu, FIJI
*
Corresponding author
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Abstract

There is a lack of experimental support for Linguistic Relativity Theory (LRT), which has not been tested in a South Pacific context. Fifty-two bilingual male (n = 26) and female Fijians read, and answered survey questions on the family dilemma, “An Unwanted Child?” - one group functioning in English and the other in Fijian. The group reading and answering in Fijian tended to place more emphasis on the rights of the extended family, whereas the group reading and responding in English placed more emphasis on the rights of the individual. These preliminary findings are consistent with LRT theory, and form the basis for more extended study, including perhaps a wider range of dilemmas and linguistic abilities (e.g., Fijians living in Australia).

Type
Short papers
Information
South Pacific Journal of Psychology , Volume 9 , 1997 , pp. 69 - 74
Copyright
Copyright © University of Papua New Guinea & the University of Newcastle, Australia 1997

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