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Female circumcision
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What do body modifications signify in people's culture? Some cultures force body modifications as a right of passage into a new stage in a person's life. Body modifications are associated with many things, for example, commitment, social rank, and ways to control people's lives. Waris Dirie, Tepilit Ole Saitoti, and Enid Schildkrout talk about body modifications and what they mean in different cultures. Cultures have different forms of body modifications with their own meaning and background. Men and women must take on specific roles set upon by their culture from the body modifications they endure. “Body Art as Visual Language” by Enid Schildkrout talks about the different forms of body modifications, and their meanings within different cultures. For example, Schildkrout says “Head shaping may be a sign of high status in one culture and low status in another, but to a total outsider, these practices may appear to be simply mutilation.” In this quote, the author talks about how one body …show more content…
She states “Dirty razor blade, and I could see the dried blood on it from the person she had cut before me.” She went on with the process with the pain and unsanitized tools being used on her. Shes also goes onto explain what society believes what happens to women if they go uncircumcised. “They think if you haven’t been circumcised, you're going to sleep around. They cut you so that you won’t be horny.” Female circumcision was seen in her culture as a way to prevent women from having sex with multiple partners. Men basically used it as a way to control the women in their society(177).This is significant because it shows how many young women go through this process. Dirie shows us how a woman's childhood is taken from them at such a young age. Female circumcision restricted women to enjoy a desirable life where they could feel free with there
The reading assigned titled “The Socially Constructed Body” by Judith Lorber and Yancey Martin dives into the sociology of gender with a specific focus on how the male and female body is compromised by social ideals in the Western culture. She introduces the phenomenon of body ideals pressed on men and women by introducing the shift in cosmetic surgery toward body modifications.
In Miner’s essay there exists a large focus on the immense and self-depriving issue of physical modification. The native people’s culture believes “that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease” (Miner 471). This is a comment on American, and perhaps on a broader scope, Western, society’s involvement in body enhancements and modifiers. This shows that Miner argues that humanity is from nature, but society places them apart from it, thereby allowing for this modification. The Nacireman view of weight loss, weight gain, breast enlargement, and breast
Beauty has always been society’s greatest obsession and without realizing it, society is breeding a society that satisfies their standards. Society has compelled women to go “under the knife” as society’s ethics and beliefs have set an unrealistic standard of beauty that is unreasonable to meet. Cosmetic surgery has become a practice that is used to help women abide these societal standards of beauty. Women undergo surgical procedures to gain social acceptance in society, meet the standards that the media sets and satisfy today’s male dominating society. A woman’s physical appearance have been so concerning and important, their need to possess their desirable traits is eliminating their own individuality.
A hot button issue in our society over the years has been the topic of male and female circumcision. This issue has been portrayed in both ethical and political paradigms. “It is estimated that about 30% of males are circumcised worldwide for religious, cultural, and health reasons, most of whom live in major parts of the Middle East, Central Asia, West Africa and Israel, as well as in the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand,” according to Demuth (1). Male circumcision is the medical process of the removal of the foreskin that covers the head of the penis. In continuation, the article “Prevalence of Female Genital Cutting among Egyptian Girls,” estimates that between “100 and 130 million girls and women now alive in at least 28 African countries and the Middle East have been subjected to female circumcision or female genital mutilation (FGM)” stated by Tag-Eldin (3). The female genital mutilation is a bit different than a male’s circumcision, generally consisting of three types. “Type 1 is the removal of the clitoris, Type 2 is the removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, and Type 3 is the removal of all parts of the external genitalia, which includes: the clitoris, the labia minora/majora, and then sewing the rest of the tissues,” according to Pauls (4). The origin of circumcision is currently unknown, but according to the article “Circumcision”, there is a theory that in Ancient Egypt, Egyptians men were circumcised and eliminated all of their body hair for probably hygienic reasons. In addition, in the “Book of the Dead” it describes the sun god, Ra, to have circumcised himself (40). This suggests that it may have also been for religious reasons.
Unlike male circumcisions which were practice for religious purposes, female circumcision is done for social convention and is practiced as a way to prepare girls for marriage, as well as conform to societal norms of femininity. Female circumcisions are often motivated by what would be considered proper female behavior and as a way to promote virginity as well as cause pain during intercourse to uphold these beliefs. Much like male circumcision these societal beliefs about sex and purity, have affected these cultures in their convictions that circumcision must be performed to be pure and free of
Many of us never heard of Female Genital Mutilation until the story of Kauziya Kasinga, a woman from West Africa. Her father did not believe in polygamy, forced marriage, or "female circumcision". He died when she was 17 and the father's sister inherited the home, banished the mother, ended Fauziya's schooling, and arranged a marriage as a fourth wife to a man she had never met. The aunt scheduled her for the circumcision and she ran with 3,000 dollars that one of her aunts had saved.
Female genital mutilation (also known as female circumcision) is the cutting of female clitoral hood and removing clitoris. Following the cutting of female genital organ, there are many short-term and long-term health risk problems, and even death due to some complicated infections. The reasons for performing female genital mutilation are connected with socio-cultural beliefs, attitudes, values and customs, transition of girls into womanhood, tradition and cultural heritage, the fear of not having access to resources and opportunities as a young woman, perception to reduce sexual desire of females; hence, will sustain premarital virginity, and maintain marital fidelity. Actions have taken at international, national and regional levels since the past many years and have begun to bear fruits, but the practice is still undergoing in many countries in the world and highly prevalent in Africa. To continue and motivate further reduction in changing the society’s attitudes towards female genital mutilation in the countries where the prevalence has remained stable so it’s therefor...
M.D. “Body Image: A Clouded Reality”. Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self Knowledge 2.2 (2004): 58-65 pg. Web. 18 Nov 2013.
Marcel Mauss in his work Techniques of the Body (1934) is regarded as the first piece of work to outline a systematic anthropology of the body (Synnott 1993). It aims to show evidence that most everyday body techniques differ between people raised in different environments, as they have a different way of life that requires a different set of skills. According to Mauss all ordinary activities such as walking, running, swimming, resting are not just techniques we are naturally equipped with but are instead culturally acquired. The aim of this paper is to critically assess Mauss’ argument that techniques of the body constitute culture. This will be done by looking at what is defined as culture in the context that Mauss refers to. An analysis of Mauss’ examples of “body techniques” given in his paper will then begin, whilst also drawing on current examples. Mauss’ work will then be compared to other writers in the field of ‘the body’ such as Elias and Goffman.
With the male-dominant characteristics of the society, the circumcision was processed to the girls. It usually processed before their wedding, and in most cases under 5, girls considered it as an honor or was injected to think as an honorable action. It was because it symbolized the virginity and the purity of them. Female circumcision was not confined to the restricted area but in the wide spread areas of the African continent. The indigenous treated it as their must-be-kept custom which must be practiced without
Female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision, is a practice that involves the removal of part or all of the female external genitalia. It occurs throughout the world, but most commonly in Africa where they say that it is a tradition and social custom to keep a young girl pure and a married woman faithful. But to some Westerners, the practice is viewed as being primitive and barbaric. We react with disgust and find it nearly incomprehensible that female genital mutilation can occur in the world today
Growing up, little girls idolized the Barbie dolls they play with. They are taught from a young age that she is who they should aspire to look and be like, so why wouldn’t girl try to be like her? For 16 year old Lolita Richi, being Barbie, or as similar to a doll as she can be is her ultimate goal. She has become known as “the youngest ‘Human Barbie’ yet to emerge” and believes that she has the “most doll-like beauty yet” (Winter). Richi has dedicated her life in Ukraine to trying to perfect this look through the use of body modifications. Body modification, which is also known as body altering, is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or physical appearance. This can be done through makeup, piercing, tattoos, surgeries and in many other ways. Richi sticks to the non-permeant forms of body modification.
There are many cultural differences of body modification in the Eastern world because the Eastern world’s views and ways of self expression are different to those in the Western world.
Throughout history women have had to endure horrible things to be deemed beautiful. The ancient tradition of foot binding in China, however, takes the “beauty is pain” concept to a whole new level. Foot binding, also known as lotus feet, is the Chinese custom of applying painfully tight binding to the feet of a young girl to break all of the bones in both feet and to also prevent further growth in order to keep the feet three inches long. Although one may feel that this was completely ridiculous, having this procedure done meant that a girl will be able to get married to a wealthy man and will be referred to as attractive. The cost of beauty comes with a massive price as well. The loss of the ability to walk is the biggest price a Chinese girl had to pay in order to be accepted in the Chinese culture. During the Sung Dynasty period, women have mutilated, bound, deformed, permanently damaged and altered their bodies not only to be accepted in society, but also to satisfy men erotically and sexually as well as weaken themselves to make men feel more powerful.
red the real meaning of plastic surgery? Do you know when plastic surgery was first developed? Despite the consensus that plastic surgery involves surgery done using plastic or artificial materials, plastic surgery is actually derived from the Greek word “plastikos”, which means “to mold or shape” whereas “surgery” is obtained from “kheirourgos”, “kheir” being “hand” and “ourgos” being “work”. It dates back to as early as 600 BC, when a nose was reconstructioned by a Hindu surgeon using a piece of cheek because it was damaged in battles or caused by punishments as slaves. However, the idea of beauty has been distorted in which one believes to obtain would require the help of an approach that is not necessarily needed. In today’s society, a person is being pressured into looking a certain way in order to be called beautiful. With the media and the Internet highly influencing consumers every day by presenting picture perfect celebrities with smooth skin, perky chests and bottoms on television, it is likely that the media would hold an effect on the persuadable youth who are healthy with no defects but yearns for the unattainable. Surgical makeover shows such as Extreme Makeover and The Swan showing back-to-back episodes of a group of “ugly” women given a gift to look and feel beautiful has shown how many people in society lacks the self-esteem and confidence. For them, it is to undergo plastic surgery. It is no surprise that in the annual report entitled “Global Aesthetic/Cosmetic Surgery Procedures Performed in 2011”, United States ranked first among countries performing breast augmentations.