January 27, 2016

1) The group the Fa`afafine are from the Samoan culture located in Australia. It
is not labeling a sex or a gender it is role that the male has to play. It is an old
tradition from the beginning Samoa culture and it is still going on today from
Polynesia, New Zealand, and the United States. The Fa`afafines know that
they are the sex of male, but have the female identity s what the video
explained through many experiences of fa`afafines. One becomes this gender
by personal choice because they believe that fa`afafine spirit or the parents
choose after having so many boys that they needed a girl to help the mother
with the roles and chores around the house. This gender are expected to take
on the female role of chores, child care, and feminine attributes. This culture
is not a dominant culture they are taking the female submissive role. They
also usually lays with heterosexual men because in that society the men look
like they are laying with women so that it is no judgement to the men. Along
with that some people fall into the role with no issues, and the example of
Leo he was beaten into the role by his family because with 7 boys there
needed to be a girl to help the mother with all the chores of the house. Lorber
also states that When gender is a major component of structured inequality,
the devalued genders have less power, prestige, and econmonuc rewards
than the valued genders. This shows with Leo how he was beat into
submission. From Lorber article there are the manly hearted women who are
located with African and American Indian society which are biologically
women who take on the male role within the family, it is pretty much the flip
side of the fa`afafine.
2) From all the examples that I have viewed is very different. They can tell the
difference between sex and gender and they know what they are. Along with
the fa`afafine they know their naturally born gender but decide or sometimes
are forced to be in the role of the feminine gender. Lorber explains the
difference between gender and sex by saying But gender and sex are not
equivalent, and gender as a social construction does not flow automatically
from genitalia and reproductive organs, the main physiological differences of
females and males. Along with the 5 genders and the sworn virgins they
know their natural sex that they were born with, but they also want to be
themselves and what is naturally within their society and culture based.
3) From all ways of society for all of them the 5 genders, sworn virgins, or fa`
afafine they became this way based on their culture and society that shapes
around them. For the five genders it is accepted throughout society and the
genders or male, female, priest, and the two transvestites styles for the male
and female. This brings in Lorber and how they shaped up and what society
today has changed so much and is still changing. They live in harmony and
are also able to participate in fertility ceremonies that are there which enable
them to practice what their culture has planned out for them. For the sworn
virgins they had to choose to take on the male gender role so that they are
able to care for their older family. With that they are unable to fall in love and
marry the men because they listened as male so the thought of lesbian or
gay marriage does not exist with the culture. They are able to say yes I have

the male or female anatomy but list as the opposite gender. Lorber also goes
on to say Other societies recognize more than 2 categories, but usually no
more than 3 or 4.