What do sociologists believe the original motivation for the invention circumcision was?

Question

What do sociologists believe the original motivation for the invention circumcision was?

Answer 1

cleanliness...

Answer 2

Trying to curb masturbation and hinder sexual pleasure was a big part of the religious origins.

Harriet

Answer 3

There are all kinds of speculation behind the original origins of circumcision. In tribal societies circumcision, or other genital trauma, is almost always practiced as a rite of passage into manhood. There are two main theories as to why- first, circumcision gets rid of the "female" parts of a man- thus completeing his split from his mother and making him fully a man. (in cultures that practice FGM, the clitoris is alkso seen as a "male" organ, and thus excised)

The second is to handicap the young men sexually. You would have a group of young, fertile men ready to become adsults. In order to keep them in line, and protect the sexual interests of the older men in the tribe, they cut the genitals of the newly made men. This also gives them a chance to school the young men in the ways of the tribe while they recover. In some very primitive societies they crush a t******e or slice the p***s clean in half (called subincision). This is sort of a trade off for a young man- he gets to remain in the tribe and gain the status and privelege as an adult, but to do so, he must agree to make himself less sexually potent. Handicapping him as such, lessens the risk that any errant woman might become pregnant from him, thus putting all men on seemingly equal footing. -Neb

Answer 4

The obvious reason is the health one. A not so obvious one and a very obscure concept at that... a more aggressive nature was needed to bring some sanity to the chaos that dominated at the time.