Female Genital Cutting and Gender Relations in Kurya Society

ISBN-13: 9783631628263 / Angielski / Miękka / 2012 / 197 str.

Polycarp Africanus

Opis

This book deals with reasons for the persistence of the practice of female genital cutting (FGC) among the Kurya in Tanzania. The author identifies contradictory understandings of meanings regarding the practice among government representatives, activists who attempt to curb it, and local people involved in traditional social institutions closely linked up with the practice. Existing intervention programmes lack the involvement of local community members in planning and implementation. The book concludes that local beliefs that are embedded in traditional discourse still have a strong influence on fostering the practice, although some elements of change are currently observed. It recommends intervention programmes based on in-depth cultural knowledge, and concludes that addressing the problem in its local context is crucial for efforts directed at stopping the practice.

Spis treści

Contents: Genital cutting beliefs - Genital cutting and symbolism - The role of men - Kurya culture - The role of women - Social institutions - Genital cutting and labour relation - Intervention programmes.

O autorze

Polycarp Africanus earned his Master's degree in Sociology at the University of Dar es Salaam in 2004. He gained a doctoral degree in Sociology from the same institution in 2011 through a sandwich programme in collaboration with Bergen University College and the University of Bergen. He also holds a diploma in Education and a post-graduate diploma in Law, Mediation and Arbitration. The Author is a lecturer at the Institute of Social Work in Dar es Salaam. His areas of interest include sociology and anthropology, industrial sociology, research methodology, gender studies, and human rights.