The search for recognition and social movement emergence: Towards an understanding of the transformation of the Fa'afafine of Samoa

This is a sociological study of the fa'afafine of Samoa. The term fa'afafine means "like a woman" in Samoan and refers to men with a range of qualities that are deemed to be effeminate. Traditionally valorized for their performance of women's activities in the home and village, and known for their erotic interest in men, many fa'afafine have engaged in activities in the urban community of Samoa that have some of the characteristics of an identity- and esteem-based social movement. Some have also participated in similar activities through ties to other networks of effeminate men around the Pacific. This study examines some of the events and processes through which their movement emerged in Samoa. The period examined is from the 1960s to the mid-1980s. The data includes the histories and biographies of fa'afafine who were involved, as well as accounts of others who were witnesses to this movement's emergence. Results of the study reveal that urbanization, structural and ideational changes brought on by globalization and colonialism, new forms of agency, as well as traditional motifs played a part in their construction of collective behaviors and gentle, identity-based transformational activity of a fluid and localized kind. This activity differed markedly from the confrontational politics of Western gay liberation movements. In particular, sites and havens in the urban area, the Samoan propensity for utilizing their skills, as well as their attachment to a range of elites, a committed leadership, and the Samoan culture were important to their emergence and accommodation. This study also shows the important role that preexisting networks played in their transformation in this kinship-based society.