Men, Modernity and Melanesia

Gender struggles of educated men in the Papuan highlands

“…Views from Papua New Guinea, on the other side of the island, describe masculinities in crisis (Knauft 2011) and new articulations of male identity through monetary prowess, commodity consumption, sexual practices and Christian values (Bainton 2008;Cox and Macintyre 2014;Martin 2013). In Papua, the biggest ideological threats to indigenous masculinities are the discourses that relegate cultural practices and values to the tribal past and position culture and black racial heritage as something to be ashamed of (Munro 2015;Stasch 2015).…”

Introduction: Emergent Masculinities in the Pacific

“…look critically at the overwhelmingly negative and often extremely violent images of Pacific men, such as have been formed through a history of colonialism and Christianisation, and that incorporate ideas of an inherent 'darkness' or a noble savagery rendered ignoble for having been 'tainted' by modernity (see also Hokowhitu 2004, 262-264;Knauft 2011;Martens 2007). …”

From 'Stone-Age' to 'Real-Time': Exploring Papuan Temporalities, Mobilities and Religiosities

“…Men in Melanesia are typically raised in strongly gender-demarcated societies. Communities emphasised warrior training through childhood, and expected aggression, which translates in the present day to engagement with political and personal violence as a way to compensate for insecurities embedded within a Melanesian ethos of masculinity -be it against women, theft or other forms of often brutal violence (Knauft 2011). This masculinity has been described as in crisis, with many rituals designed to affirm male adulthood through recognised rites of passage now destroyed or abandoned (Knauft 1997(Knauft , 2011.…”

“…Communities emphasised warrior training through childhood, and expected aggression, which translates in the present day to engagement with political and personal violence as a way to compensate for insecurities embedded within a Melanesian ethos of masculinity -be it against women, theft or other forms of often brutal violence (Knauft 2011). This masculinity has been described as in crisis, with many rituals designed to affirm male adulthood through recognised rites of passage now destroyed or abandoned (Knauft 1997(Knauft , 2011. Within Papua, men increasingly leave home and encounter in their journeys alternate models of successful masculine accomplishments, novel displays of wealth or the acquisition of commodities, and the adoption of new forms of marriage, spousal relations and family.…”

“…Within Papua, men increasingly leave home and encounter in their journeys alternate models of successful masculine accomplishments, novel displays of wealth or the acquisition of commodities, and the adoption of new forms of marriage, spousal relations and family. In part, men are seeking to counter the emasculating effects of colonialism (Macintyre 2008), as well as their desire to maintain and build a male collectivity (Knauft 2011). …”