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WOGEO (Papua New Guinea)
Index→ Papua New
Guinea → Wogeo
More:
Arapesh, Ari, Banaro, Baruya, Binim-Kukusmin, Busama, Darabi, Dobu Isl., Eipo, Etoro, Foi, Gebusi, Jaquai, Keraki, Kewa, Kimam, Kiwai, Koko, Kwoma, Lesu, Manus, Marind
Anim, New
Britain, New Ireland, Normanby
Islanders, Paiela, “Sambia”, Trobrianders, Vanatinai
Bibliography
Menarche on Wogeo occurs late, at around or
after age 17 (Hogbin, 1935:320-1)[1]. Equally, Hogbin (p320) states
that “[t]he sexual life of the islanders does not begin until about the age
of 16 or 17 or later […]”. Hogbin (1946a)[2], as the title of his later article
might suggest, answers negatively on the question of paradoxia on Wogeo. Masturbation is regarded as preparatory (H.,
p188).[3] Although knowledge of sexual intercourse is
gained by age eight or nine (before, they are told that babies grow on trees,
where they are to be picked), “[…] the youngsters do not carry out
experiments for themselves”. The “awakening of the sexual impulse” (a rather
eurocentric concept) is placed at pubescence, “at least for boys”. In his
article on childhood (1946b)[4] he gives a further (modest) clue
to his argument: “[…] play marriages, common elsewhere in Melanesia, do not take place”. (Hogbin,
1943)[5] on Wogeo infants does not report sexual
observations. Hogbin (1945, as cited by Marinkelle, 1976:p47)[6] argues that homosexual relations
are expected in adolescence, until heterosexual relations are permitted after
initiation after about age 19. This would contrast girlhood situation,
heterosexual relations being encouraged (and rewarded) from sexual maturity
onward.
So the possible absence of Paradoxia seems
strange in this “permissive” society (Ford and Beach (1951:p190), where
“sexual matters are freely discussed by adults in the presence of children
[although] parents take some precautions against their own children observing
them in intercourse”.
Janssen,
D. F., Growing Up Sexually. VolumeI. World Reference Atlas. 0.2 ed. 2004. Berlin:
Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology
Last
revised: Sept 2004
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