noun. the family group in the Hawaiian society, marked by a moral system which stresses multi-generational kinship, consisting of the prescription of age- proper roles, connection to one's predecessors, respect for the knowledge of those older than themselves, encouragement of the wellbeing of kids, and the total sustenance of the family group. Like methods of conceptualizing family are seen in other Polynesian societies.
OHANA: "It took time for Tasha to become acclimated to the Ohana traditions her Hawaiian husband brought into the marriage."
Cite this page: Nugent, Pam M.S., "OHANA," in PsychologyDictionary.org, April 7, 2013, https://psychologydictionary.org/ohana/ (accessed June 27, 2017).
