Thesis for female genital mutilation?

Question

have an anthropology pâper and need to come up with a thesis.

i thought about saying that female genital mutilation is a human rights violation and is not justified as a religious expression of freedom

Answer 1

Why don't you be radical and try to look for the historical and sociological justification for it instead of just writing another boring paper for your professor? Before everyone screams, I'm not saying that it has a place in this day and age, just that it HAD a place in the societies where it developed and that it would be a lot more interesting to explore why it happened than just to rehash why it's so bad today...

Answer 2

thats cool girl - you go for it! its a very highly emotional and controversial subject!

Answer 3

No way...torture and mutilation is bad??? I can't wait to hear your defense of that outrageous statement.

Answer 4

You may want to read up on different takes on this issue from different segments of the culture around the world. These should include religious groups, academic anthropologist groups, philosophical groups, groups that support pluralism etc. Also, get perspectives from women within the cultural belief system that supports the ritual and some input from women outside of that culture (but have undergone the ritual). Passing judgment on a cultural ritual may not be the best approach. Documenting different approaches to the issue is more interesting.

Answer 5

So is a circumcision.  So is piercing an infants ears... and your point is?

Answer 6

Rosbif has an interesting point.  Your opinion about it could still be valid, but your paper should include some perspective on why exactly the practice still continues to this day.

This is actually one of the topics discussed in one of my cultural anthro ethics courses when I went to uni.  I'm usually pretty good at being able to see cultural practice objectively, and I'd like to think that I'm not particularly judgmental about different cultures, but this was one topic I just couldn't see as anything but barbaric.

It's extremely important that an anthropologist reports observations objectively though, regardless of how he or she might personally feel about a particular practice.  Do you mean to say that the anthropologist should refuse to participate in such a ritual?  Or that they should take an active stance to combat the practice?  Or, distasteful and degrading as it is, is there still some sort of value to be had in recording it?  Some points to ponder as you tease out your thesis.  Good luck!