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Sexuality, Family Planning and Religion in Papua New Guinea: Reproductive Governance and Catholicism in the Lihir Islands

Sexuality, Family Planning and Religion in Papua New Guinea: Reproductive Governance and... This paper explores the complex and dynamic relationship between religion, sexuality and health in the particular context of the Lihir Islands in Papua New Guinea. Through the teachings of Catholicism in Lihir, a version of human sexuality and relationships is promoted that assumes lifelong monogamy, heterosexuality and restraint of sexual desire to ensure safe reproduction and sexuality. Techniques of governance shape reproductive practices in accord with this moral regime. This paper seeks to analyse how Lihirians manage the gap between this idealised model for human sexuality, and their everyday lives. I argue that while Catholicism shapes the moral regime, Lihirians exercise their moral agency, strategically responding to the particular circumstances of their lives in making reproductive decisions. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology Taylor & Francis

Sexuality, Family Planning and Religion in Papua New Guinea: Reproductive Governance and Catholicism in the Lihir Islands

Hemer, Susan R.
The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology , Volume 20 (4): 17 – Aug 8, 2019
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Sexuality, Family Planning and Religion in Papua New Guinea: Reproductive Governance and Catholicism in the Lihir Islands

Abstract

This paper explores the complex and dynamic relationship between religion, sexuality and health in the particular context of the Lihir Islands in Papua New Guinea. Through the teachings of Catholicism in Lihir, a version of human sexuality and relationships is promoted that assumes lifelong monogamy, heterosexuality and restraint of sexual desire to ensure safe reproduction and sexuality. Techniques of governance shape reproductive practices in accord with this moral regime. This paper seeks...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© 2019 The Australian National University
ISSN
1740-9314
eISSN
1444-2213
DOI
10.1080/14442213.2019.1638445
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This paper explores the complex and dynamic relationship between religion, sexuality and health in the particular context of the Lihir Islands in Papua New Guinea. Through the teachings of Catholicism in Lihir, a version of human sexuality and relationships is promoted that assumes lifelong monogamy, heterosexuality and restraint of sexual desire to ensure safe reproduction and sexuality. Techniques of governance shape reproductive practices in accord with this moral regime. This paper seeks to analyse how Lihirians manage the gap between this idealised model for human sexuality, and their everyday lives. I argue that while Catholicism shapes the moral regime, Lihirians exercise their moral agency, strategically responding to the particular circumstances of their lives in making reproductive decisions.

Journal

The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology – Taylor & Francis

Published: Aug 8, 2019

Keywords: Catholicism; Christianity; Contraception; Family Planning; Gendered Violence; Papua New Guinea

References

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