There is a class of men somewhere in a group of islands in the South Pacific who exhibit effeminate behaviors, take on atypical masculine roles, and form an integral part of traditional culture and the broader social structure. They are the fa’afafine of the Independent State of Samoa, American Samoa, and various Samoan diasporas, including New Zealand.
An etymological look at the causative prefix “fa’a” and the word “fafine” provides a direct English translation that means “in the manner of a woman.” The label ascribed to these individuals marks their recognized status as a third gender. Their acknowledged status in society comes from their established and important role in traditional Samoan family systems.
Scholars who have studied Samoan culture describe the fa’afafine as dedicated members of the family. These individuals display a range of behaviors that range from extravagant femininity to more traditional masculinity. Their sexual orientation generally aligns with that of homosexual men. This is seen from their exclusive sexual relationships with men.
Difference with the Western Concept of Homosexuality
It is important to delineate the difference between the fa’afafine and the Western concept of homosexuals. The words “gay” or “homosexual” are inexistent in Samoa. Oppressive cultures in other parts of the world consider homosexuality as unnatural and people who have identified themselves as homosexuals are treated with contempt and discrimination.
The Samoan culture is different. The fa’afafine is a socially recognized third gender with an established identity and role that was first acknowledged at least during the early 20th century. Researchers often replace the word homosexuality with the word androphilia to describe universal homosexual-like sexual and gender orientations and behaviors.
Some would assume that the fa’afafine are raised and nurtured for homosexual or androphilic behaviors because of the encouraging social environment. However, according to researchers Bartlett and Vasey, their study revealed that the fa’afafine share similarities with Samoan women when it comes to gender-based childhood behaviors and dispositions.
Both the fa’afafine and women are predisposed to engage in more female-typical behaviors and significantly fewer male-typical behaviors in childhood compared to men. A survey of the fa’afafine showed that some of them identified as girls when they were children. Performing typical male gender roles or portraying masculine-oriented behaviors upset them.
Other results from the study showed that Samoan families are less enthusiastic about influencing the sexual orientation and gender identity of their children. They recognize boys as fa’afafine the moment they display effeminate behaviors. However, although this third gender is recognized, some Catholic groups and traditional leaders refuse to acknowledge their orientation.
Another interesting conclusion from the study centers on the apparent universality of homosexual behaviors and related psychosexual development. Bartlett and Vasey noted that gender-atypical behavior in childhood and adult androphilia is not unique in the Western Both the fa’afafine children and Western homosexual children share similar behaviors.
The existence and recognition of the fa’afafine in Samoan society has an interesting implication that could explain the evolutionary role of homosexuality. It is important to underscore the fact that several studies revealed that the fa’afafine are more altruistically inclined toward their nieces and nephews than either Samoan women or heterosexual men.
Fa’afafine and the Relevant Theories of Homosexuality
Androphilic men in Samoa are eager to look after their nephews and nieces. They tutor them in arts and music or other school-related works. They also extend financial assistance for education and healthcare. Vasey and VanderLaan have extensively observed and investigated the probable evolutionary underpinning of these altruistic tendencies.
A 2006 study by D. S. Pocock also revealed that the fa’afafine have greater avuncular tendencies or uncle-like behavior than heterosexual men. Both Vasey and VanderLaan replicated and expanded the study further in 2010. Their findings showed that the fa’afafine exhibited higher avuncular tendencies than heterosexual men with no children.
The fa’afafine are also not only more altruistic than Samoan women and heterosexual men but also exhibit stronger altruistic and avuncular behaviors toward their kin, particularly in their willingness to invest time, resources, and care in their biological nieces and nephews, while showing weaker tendencies toward children outside their families or clans.
Nevertheless, from an evolutionary perspective, Vasey and VanderLaan hypothesized that genetic factors may contribute to the emergence and persistence of homosexuality in a population. The presence of fa’afafine may offer an evolutionary advantage to their respective families by supporting gene propagation and promoting reproduction.
Remember that their roles center on looking after the younger members of their families. The combination of these altruistic and avuncular behaviors and familial responsibilities assists in the survival of younger members of the family. This promotes the survival of the entire genetic line of the family. This is aligned with the Kin Selection Theory.
The existence of the fa’afafine has also been associated with the Fraternal Birth Order Hypothesis and the Maternal Fecundity Effect. The former posits that a man who has more older brothers from the same mother has a higher probability of having a homosexual orientation. The latter is suggests a possible evolutionary underpinning of homosexuality.
Vasey and VanderLaan associated the aforesaid theories with the fa’afafine. Their investigation revealed that homosexual men and their mothers and maternal aunts have genes that promote female reproduction and male homosexuality. These females essentially have a reproductive advantage over the mothers and maternal aunts of heterosexual men.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Bartlett, N. H. and Vasey, P. L. 2006. “A Retrospective Study of Childhood Gender-Atypical Behavior in Samoan Fa’afafine.” Archives of Sexual Behavior. 35: 659-666. DOI: 1007/s10508-006-9055-1
- VanderLaan, D. P. and Vasey, P. L. 2009. “Male Sexual Orientation in Independent Samoa: Evidence for Fraternal Birth Order and Maternal Fecundity Effects.” Archives of Sexual Behavior. 40(3): 495-503. DOI: 1007/s10508-009-9576-5
- Vasey, P. L. and VanderLaan, D. P. 2010. “An Adaptive Cognitive Dissociation Between Willingness to Help Kin and Non-kin in Samoan Fa’afafine.” Psychological Science. 21(2): 292-297. DOI: 1177/0956797609359623
- Vasey, P. L. and VanderLaan, D. P. 2008. “Avuncular Tendencies and the Evolution of Male Androphilia in Samoan Fa’afafine.” Archives of Sexual Behavior. 39(4): 821-830. DOI: 1007/s10508-008-9404-3