This project involves a pilot study of gender differences in children's aggression in play settings in Fiji. The investigators are anthropologists at Union College. Using ethnographic methods of observation and intensive interviews, they will examine aspects of children's play such as the size of play groups and degree of elaboration of rules and roles, that have been found to differ between N. American boys and girls. The research site is interesting because Fijian children of both sexes do not display the aggressive interaction styles that boys in Western societies exhibit. The goal of this study is to test various methods of studying play to pave the way for a long-term study involving play in both school and neighborhood settings. This research is important because it will advance our understanding of the relative roles of peer group interaction versus authority-figure interaction in learning social values. The project also will increase the expertise of two young social scientists about the methodology of how to study children's socialization patterns as well as our general knowledge about this important region of the world.
