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12 January 2000.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a cultural practice that has been going on in many societies. It is practiced as much in the Indian traditions as in Islam and Christianity. FGM is a procedure that involves the removal of a girl’s clitoris. In some cultures, the removal of the clitoris is followed by the stitching of the vaginal opening. The stitches are only removed when the dictates of the girl’s culture allows her to get married, engage in sexual intercourse, and to bear children.
The United States has been a staunch opponent of FGM. This opposition has in many cases paved way for the introduction of numerous American-sponsored anti-FGM campaigns. This US intervention to discourage FGM may be viewed as a demonstration of ethnocentrism as opposed to cultural relativism. This paper argues that the culture of FGM is best explained through the symbolic interactionism theory. This theory proposes that both individuals and societies gradually develop meanings that are intricately attached to symbols through social interactions (Aksan 903). The interaction process involves the exchange of information from one individual to the other, and it is during this process that a tradition is passed from one generation to the other. The argumentation presented in this paper explains why the FGM culture is best explained through the symbolic interactionism theory, why intervention by the United States should be viewed as a demonstration of ethnocentrism, and the need for nations to put emphasis on cultural relativism.
In symbolic interactionism theory, emphasis is on how information attached to symbols is exchanged through social interactions. In the case of FGM, social interactions have greatly contributed to the continued popularity of the cultural practice. In India, for instance, low-income communities have exalted the practice by paying huge sums of money to those who carry out the FGM procedures. In the Muslim world, a woman who has not undergone the practice finds it extremely difficult to get married. In these two contexts, the social interactions have been packaged over time in a manner that promotes the cultural practice while overlooking dangers such as infection of the clitoris.
The United States has been on the forefront in spearheading campaigns against FGM. Paradoxically, the American society has had to grapple with distinct problems, which do not seem to be bothersome in other countries. A good example is that of overemphasizing “sexiness†in women, who seem to get away with cheating within their marriages quite easily (Gibeau 87). On the contrary, it is unheard of for the Muslim woman, whose body is usually covered up in veils in accordance to the Muslim culture, to cheat on her husband. This is a clear indication of ethnocentrism on the part of the United States.
Enthnocentrism in the United States also becomes evident when one assesses the case of FGM in Indonesia. In Indonesia, FGM is carried out on girls aged between 14 and 16, during which time they are not allowed to have sex (Barstow 504). In the United States, many girls aged between 14 and 18 end up engaging in premarital sex. In fact, it is common for many young people of this age to be sexually active. Instead of practicing ethnocentrism, the US should address the problem of FGM through the theoretical prism of cultural relativism. Cultural relativism is a better option as it allows every individual in society to do things in accordance with the dictates of his or her culture.
In conclusion, FGM has been an integral part of the cultural fabric of many societies for centuries. In countries where the practice is not rampant such as the United States, an ethnocentric approach is normally used as a justification for criticism that is directed towards societies where FGM remains an important cultural practice. The theory of symbolic interactivism provides numerous insights into the need for the notion of cultural relativism to be used in addressing the problem of female genital mutilation. This is because every society has a right to establish a symbol (such as FGM) and associate it with various social activities (such as marriage).
Works Cited
Aksan, Nilgun. “Symbolic interaction theory.†Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1.1, (2009): 902–904.
Barstow, Donald. “Female genital mutilation: The penultimate gender abuse.†Child Abuse & Neglect, 23.5, (1999): 501–510.
Gibeau, Anne. “Female Genital Mutilation: When a Cultural Practice Generates Clinical and Ethical Dilemmas.†Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing. 27.1, (1998): 85–91.
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