Table Of ContentRETHINKING
WOMEN’S ROLES
Perspectives from the Pacific
EDITED BY
DENISE O'BRIEN & SHARON W. TIFFANY
RETHINKING WOMEN'S ROLES
Perspectives from tke Pacific
Edited by DENISE O'BRIEN and
SHARON W. TIFFANY
‘This book is about women in Pacific Island
societies, particularly the indigenous women
‘of Melanesia, It is also about those expatriate
women who came to these islands t settle,
missionize, or visit. It is the lives and
experiences of these women thar rhe authors
of this book seek to illuminste as they
rethink women’s roles in the light of feminist
research.
Anthropologists have long been fascinated
by che cultural diversicy of Pacific Islend
socieries. Although much scholarly research
has been done on this region; it is the male
‘world that has most often served as the core
of ethnography while the roles of women
have generally been perceived 2s unarginal to
those of men. In the introduetory chapter,
Sharon W" Tiffany urges anthropologists 10
explore the relationship between Western
images of women and the impact of these
images on research. Arguing that
anthropology should be linked to fem
perspectives, she cites the need to critically
evalnare anthropological understandings
aboat women derived from male discourse.
The chapters that follow range
geographically across Oceania and present
new research that integrates the female
experience into Pacific ethnography. Topics
include: zntkropological cheories abone sex
Continued on Pact Flop
Rethinking Women’s Roles
(inwiaum
Rethinking Women’s Roles
Perspectives from the Pacific
abted by
Denise O'Brien
and
Sharon W. Tiffany
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Berieley Loe Angelos London
University of California Press
Berkeley and Ly Angeles, California
Universty of Cahlonnia Press, Ln
Londen, Eaghnd
Copyright © 1584 by ‘The Regents ofthe University of California
Likeary of Congness Cataloging in Publication Nara
ain orary under se
Rethinking, women's rk
Based om papers presented at Z consecutive mestings of the Aswciatim for Save
Anihropelagy in Cceania,
Vildigrapl: p
Includes inde
Cntonts: Feminist perceptions in antherpwiogy i Sharan W
Domestcity and the denigrsteno* women Marlyn Strathern—Comyalementaity
the relationship Leween Female nid mle in the Fase Sepik Vilage of Burs, Papua
New Guincs ) Naney MeDowellfete.]
1. Women—Melanesit—Congresses, 2, Sew roloe—Melansis—
Congresses, 3. Wemen—Ocetnia Congresses 4. Ethnology —Methodology—
Congresses, 5. Melanesis~Sceial conditons—Congresses, 6, Qseaaia—Social
condhiions—Congresses. 1. OBrex, Denise. UL. TiTimy, Sharon W
TIL, Assexiation for Social Anthropology in Oveania
G66. 98H 5.42000 ern
ISBN 05-570-051424
Printed in the United Stes of America
To
the memory of
Margaret Mead
Contents
Editors’ Pretace
1 Introduction: Feminist Perce
‘Anthropology
Sharon W. Tiffany
2_Domesricity and the Denigrarion nf Women
Warilyn, Stratbarn
3_Comple
arity: The Relationship between
82
Female and Male in the Fast Sq
of Bun, Papua New Guinea
Naney WcDowelh
ik Vilage
4 “Women Never Hunt”: ‘The Portrayal of,
Women in Melanesian Ethnograph:
Denise OB
5_ Revenge Suicide hy Lusi Women:
n
An Expression of Power
“Dorkly Ayes Cams
6 Women, Work, and Change
9
in Nagovist
Tit Nash
7_Pigs, Pearlshuells, and ‘Women’s Work’:
120
Collective Resporise 1 Change in
Highland Papua New Guin
F Sexton
B “Sing w the Lord a New Song”: Women
153
in the Churches of Oceania
Charles W. Farman
9 European Women in the Solomon Islands, 17a
1900_ 1942: Accommodation and Change
References 201
Contributors 220
Indes 0a
Editors’ Preface
This volume grew nut of papers an the geneeal ropir of Women in Oceana
presented at Iwo consecutive meetings of the Association for Social An-
Uhropolagy in Olvaria, fer a working sesion in Clearwater, Flor, in
1979, im Which over tweaty:seholsrs participated wis el
symposium and any resulting publ cation must t
oF themes in order to be successful. The most significant issues emerging
from the working session concerned models and images of womer: in society’,
the relationship between women and power, and the historical charge in
women's roles. We asked members of the 1980 symposium in Galveston,
Texas, to diaesss one er more ofthese themes, which, inturn have steuetared
the chepters ia this bock.
ur work began with the incent to produce a book about women of the
Pacific. Instead, this is a volume sbout the lives and experienees of women
in Melanesia, and it does not give comparable coverage to che other culkure
areas of Oceania, ‘The reasons ‘er this coreentration are various
particular to chis boos, otkers are related to the nature of anthropological
researet it Ovcania and « the mature of Pavtie Isaud soeieties. With he
exceptions of Tiffany, who worked in Samea, and Forman, whose research
extends beyond Mekizesia, all other contributors condueted their primary
research in Melanesian soeieties. Chapcers with a strong ethnographic feus
‘Counts, chap. $; McDowall, chap. 5: Nash, chap. 6; and Sextem, chap. 7
are hased on the authors’ fieldwork in Papa New Guinea, ‘The historical
and. theoreti chapte-s (Boutilier, cha. 9; Forman, ehap. 8; O'Brien,
chap. 4;2nd Strathera. chap. 3} deal rimarily with Melanesian data, although
thers is comparative materia trom Australia, Nb
three chapters Tiffany, chap. 1; Forman, chap. 8; O'Brien, chap. 4
Anthropologists have lang heer hseineted by’ the cultural diversity’ of
Melanesia, and are has only ta mention Mead and Malinewvshi to rera that
some of tae classic ethnography af this century has been dane there. iter
World War Il, when anthropological -eearch intensified throughout she
Pacihc, researchers were drawn to Melanesia by the dual epportunities of
building on ehese classic foundations and of working in societies shat had
experienced litle or no contact with the nen-Melanesian world
Melanesia is an arera where the influence, ideas, and ambitiors of
European and Asiatic powers have met and mingled for contarioe, most
tata format
mites ruimber
inesia, and Polynes:a 19
‘ar histo-
£ Eanors Pretaoe
ramascally during se sc hundred years. Events in Melanesia fer unique
perspetves en the dives of econ expevienct, fem situations. and
“That recon for our iniilly ninterded focus is that the ethnographic
and sto questions abut women raed in he volume sn be dsc sel
vr tems of Melenesinn soxieticn, Mlensia highlight, ten in sing and
ambuyant sys the diflerencesbetwsen feral onl male and the sir
tance gener in coca, econ, ane plea int trons, We emphsee
{hats tnuk about momen de Mela Athough much of or atenion
ha ben dete ndigenoas ween, ns have alo ben concer ¥ th
The se of Europea cae i Ue Pale
the one (eure chap. 9 Forman, ep. Br and ay elmogaphers
(OBrien, chap. +; Strathern, chap. 2).
ace names inthe Pacis have ad a eonfsing evolution over the ast
sande years efeing the any pt changes nthe ae The ge
graph ab plicalconnotitins the ames ed in Eelam te
uw
eens (ig. 1) ncldes four major uur
Misrenesin, and Pees
“Vln (ig. 2 Ceographialy the prinpal led seas ae the sand
of New ivan: the Sean lskrds, New Britny New rend, New
Calonia, Vanvate tonrsly dhe New Hetsides Fi
: Australia, Melanesia,
the Loyalty.
Islands.
‘New Guinea (ig. 2). Now divided politically ine Irian Jaya, a province
of lnconesia, and jeferred w geograpieally ay West New Guiza; and Papua
New Guinea, a country that dependent in 1975, re‘erred 1 get
xraphically as East New Guinea, Poliically, Papua New Guinea also includes
he neighboring istancs of Manus, the Trobriands, the D’Entrecasteaux, the
Lowsinde Arenipeligo, New Ireland, New Britain, Buka, and Bougainville
Baka and Bougainville ane geographicelly part of tke Solomon Islands ar
chipelago, Prior to 1953, when West New Guinea passed under Indonesian
control, it was a colony of the Netherlands and was ealled Dutch New
Guinea or Nederlands Niewe-Cuines. Since 1953, West New Guinea has
sernetimes been called West Irian or Irian Barat. Prior to 1973, East New
Guinca was divided into two polizical units, both under Austr
the Territory of Papua and the Territory of New Guince, eollzetively known
as the Territory of Papua and New Guinea (abbreviated TPNG). The Ter=
riwry of New Guinee has also been knowr: as Northeast New Guinee, the
iste Trust Territory of New Guinea,
1 conditions. Papua was
called British New Guine!
man New Guinea,
