Learning from men in Papua New Guinea about power and relationships: at home and in the community

This study explicitly adopted a social norms approach to understand (a) how masculinities are constructed in Papua New Guinea and (b) the social pressures exerted on men to conform to expected patterns of masculinity in their intimate and parenting relationships. It found that gender socialisation begins at a young age, with “real men” being those who are engaged in productive activity, financially secure, providing for their families and seen as being tough. Importantly, becoming a man is seen as a process that needs to be endorsed by both the immediate family and the community. As they transition through adolescence and into adulthood, there is also an expectation that young men will conform to their peer groups, which may involve engaging in unhealthy, criminal and/or risk-taking behaviours.