Difficulties and Expectations of Living Together

Co-Residence and Hospitality in a Village of ‘Are’are, Solomon Islands

Abstract

This paper focuses on the practice of co-residence and the indigenous logic of hospitality in ‘Are’are, the southern part of Malaita Island in the Solomon Islands. Many villages in the region consist of more than a dozen families. Several families, based on the principle of paternal origin and husbandry, have been settled in the village for several generations. On the other hand, there are frequent visits by a variety of people, such as those that are conducted for marriage and brief visits by relatives and friends. Moreover, since the flourishing of the indigenous movement in the middle of the 20th century, a village has generally consisted of several families from different clans. In such a situation, welcoming visitors and living together are essential issues for the people of the region today. People in the area face these challenges in their own ways. This paper explores how ‘Are’are people can live together in villages by continuing attempts to control their differences in their daily lives.