A DIVIDED COMMUNITY SEEKS LŌKAHI: AN EXPLORATION OF SOCIAL CHANGE AND ‘SENSE OF PLACE’ IN KAILUA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I AT MĀNOA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN SOCIOLOGY MAY 2014 By Michelle B. Horton Thesis Committee: Patricia G. Steinhoff, Chairperson Susan J. Wurtzburg Krysia Mossakowski ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to the various individuals whose continued support and encouragement have assisted me in completing this thesis. First and foremost, I would like to thank the members of my committee who have spent countless hours on my behalf and have also remained committed to ensuring I succeed, both personally and academically. Dr. Patricia G. Steinhoff, I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you. Although many of the tasks which you suggested were not easy at the time, I can look back and honestly acknowledge that it was for the best because you have pushed me to great lengths to ensure I produced a piece of work that is both rigorous and meaningful. I am not only proud of the work I have produced, but also a stronger person due to the obstacles you have helped me overcome. Dr. Susan J. Wurtzburg, I am humbled by the time and energy you have geared towards students like myself. Your passion for teaching is evident and you have always gone above and beyond to nurture and inspire those around you. Thank you for reigniting my flame in times of darkness and for constantly reminding me that my work is important. Dr. Krysia Mossakowski, thank you for always being open-minded and supportive of my academic interests and for encouraging me to seek new and innovative ways to improve my work. I would also like to thank my family, whose unconditional love and support I could not have done without. To my father, I am forever grateful for the strong work ethic you have instilled in me from a very young age. To my mother, thank you for always encouraging me to follow my dreams and for teaching me through example to live my life with compassion. Kristy and Aaron, this thesis would not have been possible without the time and energy you have devoted on my behalf. Thank you for opening your home to me from a young age, and for playing a tremendous role in my shaping my trajectory from a high school dropout to a college graduate. I would also not be here without my other siblings, who have supported me along the way. Thank you for comforting me in times of grief, laughing with me in times of joy, and for always reminding me of the great example I have been to your children. Lastly, I would also like to honor my grandfather, who was an exceptional writer and family historian. Although you are no longer with us, your genuine love and support for my writing has not only ii provided me with a solid foundation to become a writer, but has also equipped me with the tools that have helped me navigate life in general. Thank you to my grandmother, who has remained committed to preserving his legacy and always reminded me of my strength. To John, I am forever grateful for the time and energy you have sacrificed so that I could pursue my career in academia. You were my backbone when I was weak and have taught me to persevere even when it seemed as though the odds were stacked against me. Thank you for helping me retain my spirit through your youthful ways, and for constantly reminding me that life is short and should never be taken to serious. I could not have done this without you, and for that, I owe my deepest gratitude and respect. To Andrew and Penn, thank you for always lending an open ear and for taking time out of your busy schedules to give me thoughtful feedback. There was a point in time when I did not think I would make it this far, so thank you for helping me keep things in perspective and for encouraging me to stick it through to the end. I would also like to acknowledge the various individuals who have contributed to this research. For those who participated in this study, thank you for your honesty and willingness to participate and also for the time and energy you have sacrificed on behalf of the Kailua community. Last but not least, I would like to thank the following individuals and groups that supplied photographs for this thesis: Peter Mouginis-Mark, Roy Wilkins, Michael Sproul, Oliver Koning, Mark A. Johnson, Craig Kojima, GEOATLAS, Look at Hawaiʻi, Hui o Koʻolaupoko, KITV News, Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaiʻi (B-E-A- C-H), KaʻOhana News, Kailua Vacation Rentals and Aikahi Elementary School. iii ABSTRACT Using Kailua as a case study, this thesis examines social change by exploring how underlying place relations are impacted by community conflict stemming from a rapidly expanding tourism industry. Ten semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with residents who were recruited from Kailua Neighborhood Board (KNB) meetings in order to illuminate perceptions regarding Kailua’s ‘sense of place’, issues facing the community, as well as how these issues have impacted Kailua’s ‘sense of place’. Interviews were supplemented with field notes taken from participant observation of monthly KNB meetings and were analyzed inductively using grounded theory methodology. Findings suggested that underlying place relations not only largely affect resident perceptions of tourism, but also undergo changes in the face of community conflict since meaningful places are socially constructed. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………….II ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………..…...IV TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………….....V LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………...VII LIST OF PLATES……………………………………………………………………VIII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION, LITERATURE REVIEW, AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION………………….…………………1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………….1 The Social Construction of Meaningful Places…………………………………...2 Conceptual Overview……………………………………………………..3 ‘Sense of Place’ as a Conceptual Framework…………......……………...4 Tourism in Hawaiʻi……………………………………………………………….8 Background of Kailua……………………………………………………………10 Neighborhood Board System…………………………………………………….20 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODS……………………………………………...23 Research Design……………………………………………………………….…23 Participant Observation…………………………………………………………..23 Kailua Neighborhood Board Meetings.………………………………….24 Semi-structured Interviews………………………………………………………27 Sampling…………………………………………………………………28 Participants……………………………………………………………….29 Procedures………………………………………………………………..31 Data Analysis….………………………………………………………………....32 Coding and Memo-writing…………………………………………….…33 v CHAPTER 3: SOCIAL CHANGE, COMMUNITY CONFLICT, AND ‘SENSE OF PLACE’ IN KAILUA………………………………………….……….34 Part 1: Kailua’s ‘Sense of Place’……………………………………………….34 Physical Characteristics………………………………………………….35 Sense of Community………………………………………………….....38 Residential Character…………………………………………………….43 Part 2: Community Conflict………………………………………………..….46 Finding a Balance………………………………………………………..46 Commercialization……………………………………………………….54 Visitor Accommodations………………………………………...54 Commercial Activity……………………………………………..61 Development……………………………………………………………..68 Physical Structures……………………………………………….68 Natural Environment……………………………………………..76 Part 3: ‘Sense of Place’ Revisited……………………………………………...80 Negative Implications…………………………………………………....80 Restoring and Preserving Kailua’s ‘Sense of Place’…………………….82 Education……………………………………………………..….82 Participation…………………………………………………...…84 Leadership………………………………………………..…..…..87 CHAPTER 4: A DIVIDED COMMUNITY SEEKS LŌKAHI………………….…..89 REFLECTIVE STATEMENT………………………………………………………...93 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………….....95 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………………104 Appendix I: IRB Human Studies Approval ……………………………………104 Appendix II: Consent to Participate…………………………………………….105 Appendix III: Interview Guide…………………………………………….……106 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Map of Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu, Kailua…………………………………………...…11 Figure 2 Map of Oʻahu’s Neighborhood Board System………………………….…..21 Figure 3 Map of Kailua Neighborhood Board No. 31 Boundaries…………………..25 Figure 4 Map of Education Levels on Oʻahu…………………………………………30 Figure 5 Map of Bike Paths in Kailua…………………………………………………38 Figure 6 Map of Kawainui-Hāmākua Marsh Boundaries…………………………...76 vii LIST OF PLATES Plate I Battle of Nuʻuanu…………………………………………………………….…12 Plate II Early Days of Kaneohe Ranch……………………………………………..…13 Plate III Pali Road in 1920…………………………………………………………..…14 Plate IV Kailua in the 1950’s………………………………………………………..…15 Plate V Kawai Nui Marsh……………………………………………………...………16 Plate VI Windward Passage……………………………………………………………16 Plate VII Aerial Image of the Mokulua Islands………………………………………18 Plate VIII Kailua Beach………………………………………………………………..18 Plate IX Aerial Image of Kailua……………………………………………………….19 Plate X Members of the Kailua No. 31 Neighborhood Board………………………..25 Plate XI Kawai Nui Marsh……………………………………………………………..36 Plate XII Kaʻiwa Trail Ridge…………………………………………………….…….37 Plate XIII Paddlers on Kailua Bay….…………………………………………………37 Plate XIV Kailua Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign…………………….40 Plate XV Volunteers of Hui o Koʻolaupoko………………………………………..…41 Plate XVI Kōkua Foundation Tree Planting Ceremony……………………………..42 Plate XVII Aerial Image of Honolulu…………………………………………………44 Plate XVIII Waikiki Beach…………………………………………………………… 45 Plate XIX Kailua Beach Adventures Brochure………………………………………48 Plate XX Kailua Segway and Pedego Brochures……………………………………..49 Plate XXI Obama Visits Kailua………………………………………………………..51 Plate XXII Tour Buses in Kailua………………………………………………………52