are
social support
Social support is the perception and actuality that one is cared for, has assistance available from other people, and, most popularly, that one is part of a supportive social network. These supportive resources can be emotional (e.g., nurturance), ...
groups that form in order to provide varying support from social, financial, health, or spiritual interests.
Moai means "meeting for a common purpose" in Japanese and originated from the social support groups in
Okinawa
most commonly refers to:
* Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture
* Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture
* Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself
* Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
, Japan.
The concept of Moais have gained contemporary attention due to the
Blue Zone research popularized by
Dan Buettner. According to research, Moais are considered one of the leading factors of the longevity of lifespan of the Okinawan people, making the region among the highest concentration of
centenarians
A centenarian is a Human, person who has Ageing, reached the age of 100. Because life expectancy, life expectancies at birth worldwide are well below 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. The United Nations estimated that there w ...
in the world.
See also
*
Community
A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
*
Ohana
is a Hawaiian language, Hawaiian term meaning "family" (in an extended family, extended sense of the term, including blood-related, adoptive or intentional).
The term is cognate with Māori language, Māori , meaning "nest".
The root word ref ...
*
Friendly society
References
{{Reflist
Japanese traditions
Types of communities
Group processes
Community