Social Norms And Taboos: Female Circumcision In African Culture

Taboos, religious and societal prohibitions and cultural norms not only dictate daily life experiences for many in modern society, they also have a strong impression on perceptions of other cultures and inherent matters of right and wrong. Human behaviour is not only governed by rational decision making, but also the shared values and standards of acceptable behaviour which are universally known and accepted within a society. These social norms and taboos have puissant effects on how we interact with others, eat, have sex and dress as well as the way we form opinions regarding how other people do the same things in their own lives and the taboos which their societies are governed by. (Fershtman 2011: 139) As the Encyclopaedia Brittanica defines
The taboo which surrounds female circumcision in African culture is not for the act itself, but rather on those girls who have not undergone the procedure yet/somehow choose not to. It is a taboo not to be a circumcised female, and cultural conditions for those who are not circumcised are so uncomfortable and inconvenient that all aspects of life are effected. It is such an ingrained aspect of the female experience that generally it goes unquestioned and is in fact a celebrated moment in life. The practitioners look on the tradition as an integral aspect of both an individuals and a communities cultural and ethnic identity. (Althaus 1997: 130) Many women stress the importance of circumcision as a central part of their transition into womanhood, a physical mark that they are not mature and ‘worthy’ of respect. (Shell-Duncan 2000: 117) Uncut women and their genitalia are considered to be taboo, unclean, immature and promiscuous, among the lowest in the social order of a community. When FGM is completed, it acts as a form of rite of passage, the woman is no longer taboo and the girl becomes a woman, connected to the rest of her community symbolically through the stream of blood which comes from her wounds. (Burrage 2015:
(Ajayi 1980: 61) In Western society, parents allowing their children’s genitals to be surgically altered in painful procedures which can cause grave harm to their health is unfathomable, and the practice of doing so is extremely tabooed in society. The term commonly used in the West to refer to female circumcision, “Female Genital Mutilation” has the direct connotation of intentional harm and is tantamount to an accusation of evil intent, which many practicers say is not there. This word choice reflects the vile standard to which Western society holds female circumcision and the extreme taboo which is associated with it. There is much North American/European ethnocentric discussion and writing surrounding the topic, with practicers being seen as less rational or humane, with writers failing to consider the differences in values and traditions which vary from society to society. The question must be asked that if these practices are based on deeply held cultural values and traditions, can outsiders effectively challenge and condemn them without challenging the cultural identity of the people who practice