COMMUNICATION SKILLS Oceanians are known to be very direct and to the point. Honesty is appreciated and expected.

Humor plays a big role in communication. In general, people like teasing and joking during conversation.

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Arrogance is looked down upon heavily. Its best to stay humble and modest. Many Oceanian can have a very sarcastic sense of humor. This can be a challenge at times to decide if they are being serious or not when telling you something.

Personal Space
y

Roughly an arms length of personal space is generally acceptable during conversations. With friends or family it may be less.

With business colleagues an arms length would be a minimum requirement, any closer could be deemed inappropriate, especially between colleagues of the opposite sex.

Touching is generally kept to a minimum during conversations. Between friends and family, light touching to emphasize a point or show closeness is more common. As a general rule, shoulders, upper-arms and elbows are considered safe non sexual touching zones.

Eye Contact
y y

Direct eye contact is acceptable and expected. Avoiding someones eyes during conversations is usually viewed as disrespectful and rude.

CULTURAL PRACTICES Cultures in Oceania reflect the native people groups in Oceania, including, Australian Aboriginals, Polynesians, Melanesians, and Micronesians.

Among Australian Aboriginals, there is a large number of tribal divisions and language groups, and, corresponding to this, a wide variety of diversity exists within cultural practices. There are many similarities however. Aboriginal art is unique and is the most internationally recognizable form of Australian art. In music, the didgeridoo is commonly considered the national instrument of Australian Aborigines, and it is claimed to be the world's oldest wind instrument. Walkabout in Aboriginal culture refers to a belief that adolescence Aboriginal would undergo a six month journey living in the outback for six months. Polynesians were tribal societies with a history of war. They were known for their navigation skills and boats (waka) are still important today. Music and dance is unique. Famous dances include the Haka from the New Zealand, Maori and the Hula performed by Hawaiian dancers. Tattoos are an important expression in Polynesian cultures. Melanesian languages belong to the Austronesian group. Customs include kava drinking and tattooing. Melanesians used the bow and arrow for hunting which was almost non-existent in Polynesia. Head-hunting was common in some Melanesian groups. Micronesians have a rich oral history and a unique musical heritage. Micronesian societies are made up of clan groupings, with descent usually traced through the mother. The head clan on each island can trace its lineage back to the island's original settlers. Before the arrival of paper currency, most Micronesians traded with beads, shells and clams. Australia and New Zealand (Australasia) which is the bulk of Oceania has a predominate western culture. This gives Oceania a unique blend of smaller and older cultures existing among a modern culture similar to North America and Europe.