Tongan men talk when the language (talanoa) and context (faikava) are Tongan

Abstract

In Tongan society, Tongan males have the authority, while Tongan females hold the senior ranks in society. Other roles and responsibilities, including father, leader, provider, protector, negotiator, communicator, mentor and so forth, are also expected of Tongan males. Tongan men understand that these roles and responsibilities are to be performed effectively and held in high regard as they represent their father, grandfather, family, kāinga, village, and the Kingdom of Tonga. Despite the many tasks assumed by Tongan males, they are struggling to communicate, and have difficulty disclosing sensitive matters. Moving to New Zealand also introduces new challenges with a new environment, culture, technology, language, and ways of living. This paper focuses on talanoa with Tongan men around smoking in a faikava setting in Auckland. The information discussed in this chapter was generated by four different faikava groups that were hold at local churches in the Auckland area. During the talanoa, the men also discussed their roles and responsibilities and how these influenced their decisions.