Conditions and Mechanisms for Peace in Precontact Polynesia

An examination of interpersonal and intergroup violence in a selection of precontact Polynesian islands suggests that violence was lowest when two conditions were met. First, most peaceful islands had populations under about 1,000 people. Second, within this group, the most peaceful societies were those located more than 100 km from their nearest neighbor. The mechanisms by which peace was maintained in small societies included some measure of egalitarianism and direct representation in decision making, a rigorous program of individual sanctions of antisocial behavior, a network of gift-generated mutual obligation, and a strong kinship network. Interpersonal violence and warfare were correlated in Polynesia, but rather than interpersonal violence creating a foundation for war, it would appear that warfare socialized violence within the society. Given the wide range of violence in Polynesian societies, all of which shared a common heritage, conflict appears to have been a cultural response to the geographic and environmental conditions in which a society found itself.