1993
DOI: 10.1525/aa.1993.95.2.02a00040
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Kanengamah and Pohnpei's Politics of Concealment

Abstract: Kanengamah is an abstract quality and a manner of behaving fundamental to social life on Pohnpei, in Micronesia's Eastern Caroline Islands. It entails the habit of concealment; most social interactions are conditioned by the expectation that all parties are engaged in dissembling. Kanengamah enables Pohnpeians simultaneously to exalt their leaders and to remain remarkably free from their authority. As a consequence, “hierarchical” and “egalitarian” social forms are interdependent rather than mutually exclusive… Show more

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Cited by 21 publications
(17 citation statements)
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“…The responses are not taken to be decontextualized, isolated, or underlying attitudes. Also given Pohnpei's culture of silence and reserve in sharing knowledge (Petersen 1993), the truthfulness of the responses cannot always be guaranteed, which complicates the analysis. However, since the questionnaires do no ask for typically concealed knowledge, such as family oral traditions or medicinal practices, the effects of concealment are potentially diminished, but nonetheless acknowledged.…”
Section: Methodsmentioning
confidence: 99%
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“…The responses are not taken to be decontextualized, isolated, or underlying attitudes. Also given Pohnpei's culture of silence and reserve in sharing knowledge (Petersen 1993), the truthfulness of the responses cannot always be guaranteed, which complicates the analysis. However, since the questionnaires do no ask for typically concealed knowledge, such as family oral traditions or medicinal practices, the effects of concealment are potentially diminished, but nonetheless acknowledged.…”
Section: Methodsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…This pattern may be a result of the Pohnpeian value of kanengamah (Petersen 1993), where it is expected that one conceals one's specialized knowledge. It could also be that only people with certain titles in the soupeidi system can claim the right of knowledge of this knowledge, since its use directly related to that system.…”
Section: Meingmentioning
confidence: 99%
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“…All societies restrict access to some types of knowledge and information by law and practices. This appears to especially be the case in Pacific societies that rely strongly on oral histories and therefore maintain control over how such knowledge is transmitted and verified (see Kesolei 1977;Meleisea 1987;Hanlon 1988;Petersen 1990Petersen , 1994Morphy 1991;Mauricio 1992;Schwarz 1997;Tellei et al 2005). …”
Section: Characteristics Of Oral Histories In Palaumentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Hence, the presentation of a full sequence of events in any one narrative should not be expected. With diligence and careful analysis of multiple accounts, the skilled oral history researcher may be able to identify missing parts and frame further questions in order to piece together a complete sequence (see Petersen 1994).…”
Section: Differing Practices Concerning Timementioning
confidence: 99%