The Impact of Foreign-Good Dependence
Written By: Jayleen B. Joel
Upon the arrival of Europeans in Micronesia, islanders were introduced to foreign goods. Overtime, Micronesians grew very fond of these convenient goods. They became so overly dependent on these products that their own local produce of the land became less appealing. In 1996, the value of imports in Micronesia was $8.9 million, but six years later, the value of imports tripled, rising to $26.3 million. The more modernized the islands become, the more reliant people became of the foreign goods. In 2018, the value of imports in the region accelerated to $122 million (OEC world, 2020). Reliance on foreign goods has gained standing on some of the more serious issues in Micronesia because it has altered many aspects of the Micronesian society.
Micronesians’ dependency on foreign or imported goods (especially cash) has led to the breakdown of the traditional Micronesian family structure. Formerly, Micronesians lived in extended families that could have a depth of three or four generations (Hezel, 2001). It was preferable to live in extended family units because it gave the family access to more workers. The more members a family had, the more productive it was in obtaining the necessary resources it needed from the land and sea. It used to be manageable for a multi-generational family to live off the land and sea, but today, it has become almost impossible for them to live off of money-paying jobs. The nuclearization of the extended family then set the stage for several social issues.
Due to increased reliance on foreign means, the traditional view on land began to dissipate. Land, which used to be the way of life and source of life, lost its value to money.
Last but not the least, reliance on foreign goods brought about a wide range of health implications in Micronesia. Starting in the 1960s, variety of imported goods including convenient commodities like cars and refrigerators became readily available in Micronesia, and such conveniences “made it possible for people to dispense with much of the bodily exercise that had always been such an integral part of island life” as reported by Hezel (2020). An almost sedentary lifestyle became the norm in Micronesia, adding to the growing number of social issues because more people preferred the more prestigious and convenient products-imported goods. The change in dependence from the more physically active lifestyle to the more sedentary lifestyle gave way to many health vulnerabilities, most of which are non-communicable diseases like heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. A research study as part of a “Contemporary Issues in Micronesia” coursework was carried out to verify that the dependency on store-bought goods has rendered Micronesians victims of chronic diseases.
To determine whether reliance on foreign goods is indeed an issue in Micronesia, two sets of surveys were administered, targeting 60 participants of three different age groups in the FSM (all residing on the island of Pohnpei at the time of the study). Youth in-between ages 19-23, middle-aged adults 25-39, and older adults within the age range of 40-60. The survey targeted 20 youths, 20 adults, and 20 older adults. During data-collection, participants were asked to pick which choice on the listed items they thought was the most serious issue in the FSM: 1.Breakdown in the family; 2. Reliance on foreign goods; 3. Political corruption; 4. Lack of educational opportunities; 5.Poor health services and facilities; 6. Lack of jobs; or they were asked to indicate on a space provided if there were other serious problems.
The results from both sets of survey showed 45 people from all the three age ranges chose “reliance on foreign goods” to be the most serious problem in the FSM. Although the youngest group scored lowest in “choosing reliance on foreign goods” as a serious issue, the two older aged groups unanimously picked this choice as the most serious issue. It was then concluded that since both older-aged groups lived a more traditional lifestyle than the youth group, they were more aware of the changes and how modernization has negatively impacted the islands. It was reasoned that the youths viewed it as an ordinary way of life given that they were born and raised in this modern lifestyle. Interestingly, the majority of these participants believed that the loss of traditional culture is one cause of this issue. Finally, while all of the survey participants believed that this problem can be fixed, they had different answers on who could fix the problem. While the writer agrees that there needs to be more study on the matter, she is convinced that “reliance on foreign goods” is an eminent issue. The percentage retrieved was significant enough to show that “reliance of foreign goods” is a serious issue in the region. While reliance on foreign goods may beneficial to islanders, this does not rule out the negative implications. Although one cannot say for sure which one come first, “whether it’s living on convenience increases reliance on foreign goods or vice versa”, this change has health, social, and economic implications.
