Title The female circumcision controversy : an anthropological perspective / Ellen Gruenbaum

Published Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press, ©2001

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Description 1 online resource (242 pages) : illustrations, map Contents Patriarchy -- Ritual and meaning -- Marriage and morality -- Ethnicity -- Sexuality -- Economic development -- Change -- Involvement Summary Ellen Gruenbaum looks at the validity of Western arguments against the practice of female circumcision. In doing so, she explores both outsider and insider perspectives on female circumcision, concentrating particularly on the complex attitudes of the individuals and groups who practice it and on indigenous efforts to end it. Gruenbaum finds that the criticisms of outsiders are frequently simplistic and fail to appreciate the diversity of cultural contexts, the complex meanings, and the conflicting responses to change. Drawing on over five years of fieldwork in Sudan, where the most severe forms of genital surgery are common, Gruenbaum shows that the practices of female circumcision are deeply embedded in Sudanese cultural traditions--in religious, moral, and aesthetic values, and in ideas about class, ethnicity, and gender. Her research illuminates both the resistance to and the acceptance of change. She shows that change is occurring as the result of economic and social developments, the influences of Islamic activists, the work of Sudanese health educators, and the efforts of educated African women. That does not mean that there is no role for outsiders, Gruenbaum asserts, and she offers suggestions for those who wish to help facilitate change. By presenting specific cultural contexts and human experiences with a deep knowledge of the tremendous variation of the practice and meaning of female circumcision, Gruenbaum provides an insightful analysis of the process of changing this complex, highly debated practice Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-235) and index Notes Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212 MiAaHDL digitized 2010 HathiTrust Digital Library committed to preserve pda MiAaHDL Print version record Subject Female genital mutilation Ethnology. Circumcision, Female Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Anthropology, Cultural Socioeconomic Factors Ethnology social anthropology. ethnology. SOCIAL SCIENCE -- Gender Studies. Ethnology Female genital mutilation Feldforschung Beschneidung Frau Infibulation Frau Circumcisie. Vrouwen. Antropologische aspecten. SUBJECT Africa. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85001531 Africa Subject Africa Sudan Form Electronic book ISBN 9780812292510 0812292510

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