The cultural-linguistic making of the Tongan female self

Abstract

This chapter is about the way Tongan women are moulded and shaped by their culture and language. The chapter delineates their roles and relationships with significant others, and the ways in which these have a lasting influence on their lifeways. It shows how some women can be rendered vulnerable by their situation. Important influences in their lives are the church, the traditional culture and the language, which expresses the concepts they live by and hence their worldview. Important challenges in their lives include their unequal relationships with their male counterparts and their need for change and empowerment.