Globalization, culture and education in Samoa

Abstract

The paper focuses on the impact of globalization on postcolonial Samoa’s social, culture, and education. Due to the many global social, cultural, economical and educational changes, Samoa in the postcolonial era is currently in the process of recontextualising and restructuring Samoan cultural values to coincide with its social, cultural, economical and educational global changes. This recontextualising and restructuring is part of comprehending Samoa’s hybrid social, cultural and education system in the current climate of transformation permeating Pacific nations. The colonial influence has continued to linger in post-colonised Samoa. These influences are reinvigorated by globalization which contributes to the social, cultural, and educational problems of Samoans. It then directs discussion on the transformation of Samoan cultural and social values to western ways of living, which also leads to problems in the lives of former colonized individuals. The argument put forward by this paper is that there has to be a constructive post-colonial Samoa education system embracing global changes, and people to be well versed in the essence of these changes.