Fafafini Essay

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Reaction paper – Fafafini In reaction to the video about Fafafini on National Geographic, I have a definite disapprobation about Samoan society willingly turns men into women, especially when they were at young age. I find myself difficult to comprehend the culture, in which it endorses the practice of raising a male child to become a fafafini. According to Besnier (1994), Fafafini are biological males who have a strong feminine gender orientation, which the Samoan parents recognize quite early in childhood, and then raise them as female children or rather 'third gender' children (p.296). In the video National Geography (2007), the narrative stated Fafafini has a special role in family. Fafafini are not only able to do more challenging household labor, but also cook better than any man or woman. In my opinion, if a man acts like a woman and has sex with man, he has already decided his sexual orientation as homosexual. Fafafini, however, do not consider themselves as homosexual, but rather a “third gender” in Samoan culture. Although I have sufficient toleration towards people choice in sexual orientation, I strongly disagree with Samoan families to nurture a young child as a fafafini. National Geography (2007) showed a disheartened scene, in which a young boy screamed to his grandfather, who is a fafafini, “I would never, never, never… I’m a boy, not a girl. You are mad”. I was frustrated at how Samoan families abuse their children at that young age. In my view, it is wrong and unethical. They should not decide which sexual orientation for the young boy against his will. I learned to have respect for other cultures. However, I think we should discourage the exploitation of turning young boys into women in Samoan society. In conclusion, the video by National Geography (2007) impressed me with a totally new culture. Nonetheless, the image of that young, innocent

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