Cultural aspects of coping. Illustrated with examples from a changing Hawaiian culture

Recent studies relating to stress and coping have tended to ignore possible cultural differences in coping strategies. A review of the literature reveals that the Hawaiian culture, by virtue of its geographical isolation, has evolved culturally distinct value systems giving rise to unique patterns of coping. Furthermore, despite the high degree of Westernization following the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1778, coping strategies in Hawaii today have continued to reflect culturally distinct value systems. This demonstrates the necessity of considering cultural differences in coping strategies which may result from differences in cultural value systems both between and within geopolitical units.