Variationsrikedomen stor i hawaiiansk samlevnad

Abstract

This a r t i d e deals with male a n d f e m a l e sex and g e n d e r roles in a native Hawaiian c o n t e x t , f o c u s i n g p a r t i c u l a r l y o n lesbians. T h e a r t i c l e ' s p o i n t of dep a r t u r e is t h a t it is t h e individual w h o d e c i d e s the n o r m s and rules for h i s / h e r sexual and social b e h a v i o u r , implying an inequadecy with models where t h e focus is o n d i f f e r e n t "cultural" a n d "societal" f o r m s f o r m o d e l l i n g such behaviour. O n e imp o r t a n t aspect, o f t e n n e g l e c t e d in studies d e a l i n g with such questions, c o n n e c t s to the way p e o p l e actually feel a n d how this is p r a c t i s e d on a lifebasis. Focusing o n varieties in sex a n d g e n d e r role m o d e l l i n g , s e p a r a t i n g social roles a n d sexual identities, a n d allowing p e o p l e to a p p e a r in t h e c o n t e x t that they live in, makes it possible to e x p l o r e t h e i r ideas c o n c e r n i n g sexual i d e n t i t i e s a n d social roles. I n addition, this perspective also allows f o r an u n d e r s t a n d i n g of t h e c o n n e c t i o n p e o p l e make between sexual a n d social b e h a v i o u r m o r e generally. Against this b a c k g r o u n d , the a r t i d e discusses q u e s t i o n s c o n c e r n i n g the p r e s e n t use of t h e concept of h o m o s e x u a l i t y a m o n g i n t e l l e c t u a l s a n d scientists. T h e material f r om the Big Island, Hawaii implies t h a t ideas a b o u t sexual i d e n t i t i e s a n d social r o l e s a r e r o o t e d in beliefs b u i l d i n g o n assumptions that p e o p l e who live t o g e t h e r / h a v e sex with one a n o t h e r , take o n d i f f e r e n t sexual i d e n t i t i e s a n d social roles, r e g a r d l e s s of biological sex. This way of p e r c e i v i n g sex a n d g e n d e r role m o d e l l i n g can be seen as r o o t e d in a t r a d i t i o n where t h e a c c e p t a n c e of sexual a n d social varieties is h i g h , giving p e o p l e o p p o r t u n i t i e s to act a n d p e r f o rm a c c o r d i n g to feelings as an a c c e p t e d alternative to t h e n o r m s and vallies s t i p u l a t e d by t h e society they live in.