Tamot: masculinities in transition in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of gender relations in contemporary Papua New Guinea. It is dedicated to unveiling the standpoints of senior men in a range of powerful senior positions towards issues of gender, and asks the question ‘How do contemporary big men conceptualise their own and others’ masculinity?’ Firstly, it begins with a discussion of the legacy of the colonial era in terms of gendered power and looks at some of the ways in which Western Anthropologists typified masculinities and, to a lesser extent, femininities. Secondly, it surveys a range of literature written within the West which deals with theories of gender and attempts to apply these to the Papua New Guinean context. Following this is the chapter which gives an overview of the methodological considerations and research methods employed in the thesis. Using a feminist perspective, it goes on to investigate the perspectives of a number of men who hold senior positions within the education system, the public service, non-government organisations and the government itself in order to ascertain what, if any, contribution they offer the project of developing gender equity. In doing so, it considers the typologies of masculinity problematised by the participants and a model of their interrelation and intersections is offered.