Feminist Philosophers

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Reader query: advice on discussing FGM? February 1, 2012

Filed under: queries from readers — Jender @ 4:14 pm

I run a discussion group at my University called ‘Just A Thought’. Just A Thought brings committed dialogue and debate to issue concerning women’s justice. For our next session we are going to be talking about the topic of Female Genital Mutilation. I am writing to you to ask for your advice on how to lead the session/discussion on this topic. What themes do you suggest discussing? What philosophical/moral/political questions should I use as the foundation of the discussion and do you have any readings, documentaries, films you would recommend to assist in our understanding of the topic.

 

14 Responses to “Reader query: advice on discussing FGM?”

  1. Eric Says:
    February 1, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    When I discuss FGM as a possible example of ethical relativism in my ethics courses, I use Martha Nussbaum’s article “Judging Other Cultures: The case of FGM”.

    I don’t have citation listings handy, but here’s a link to a PDF version I found online: http://faculty.msmary.edu/Conway/PHIL%20344/Judging%20Other%20Cultures.pdf

    I believe the content of the article is also found in her book Sex and Social Justice.

  2. Sophia Says:
    February 1, 2012 at 5:45 pm

    In addition to Nussbaum mentioned above, I find this particularly helpful: Okin, Susan Moller (With Respondents). Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women? Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1999.

  3. Sorcha Says:
    February 1, 2012 at 5:55 pm

    I tend to use the term FGC (Female Genital Cutting) – not because I think it’s a neutral practice but because it allows for more open discussion with students/others who have differing positions on the issue. Here are a few texts:
    Dustin, Moira (2010) Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in the UK : Challenging the Inconsistencies. European Journal of Women’s Studies 17: 7
    Mugo, Micere Githae (1997) Elitist Anti-Circumcision Discourse as
    Mutilating and Anti-Feminist. Case Western Reserve Law Review,
    47(2): 461-80
    Phillips, Anne (2009) When Culture Means Gender: Issues of Cultural
    Defence in the English Courts. MLR 66(4): 510-531.
    Sheldon, Sally & Wilkinson, Stephen (1998) Female Genital Mutilation and Cosmetic Surgery: Regulating Non-therapeutic Body Modification. Bioethics 12(4)
    Sussman, Erika. (1998). “Contending with Culture: An Analysis of the
    Female Genital Mutilation Act of 1996.” Cornell International Law
    Journal, 31, 193ff
    Tietjens Meyers, Diana (2000) Feminism and Women’s Autonomy: The Challenge of Female Genital Cutting. Metaphilosophy 31(5): 469-491
    WHO (2008) Interagency Statement on Female Genital Mutiliation.

    FORWARD (UK based organisation) have some materials on their website (www.forwarduk.org.uk)

    I work on intersex issues also and there are some interesting parallels to thinking about genital surgeries for intersex individuals (particularly children) and FGC. Marie Fox & Michael Thomson have also looked at male circumcision (interesting for parallels/contradictions).

    Good luck!

  4. profbigk Says:
    February 1, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    The last time I taught this topic, my students and discussants included individuals from many different countries, and they were quite resistant to starting the conversation from the departure point that the practice to be discussed was “mutilation.” As it turned out, none of them agreed with the practice, but several objected that the conversation topic, so described, was designed to set, as one man put it, “we dark foreigners” on the defensive. This required a lot of work as a group, since we had to discuss, then, both the ethics of the actual practice and the more metacognitive issues involved in how we think and feel about how to talk about it.

  5. Monkey Says:
    February 2, 2012 at 6:28 am

    I use this article: • Obiora, L. A., ‘Bridges and Barricades: Rethinking Polemics and Intransigence in the Campaign against Female Circumcision’, in A. K. Wing (ed.) Global Critical Race Feminism: An International Reader. New York: New York University Press, 2000.

    It talks about different practices that are subsumed under the umbrella of ‘FGM’, and also talks about some of the problems associated with ‘Western’ feminists’ discussion of the issue. It’s useful as a counterpoint to Nussbaum, etc., and also makes contact with the issues described by ProfBigK.

  7. Mandy Says:
    February 2, 2012 at 2:02 pm

    Here is a link to the pamphlet our Nairobi office recently published. Equality Now has been working on FGM for 20 years. More info and links on the website.

  9. Anonymous Says:
    February 2, 2012 at 2:44 pm

    Thank you so much for all these responses!
    I really appreciate it, I’m going to start reading through all the suggestions
    Great! Really grateful for everyone’s help

  10. An Says:
    February 3, 2012 at 3:14 am

    I just covered this topic yesterday. I didn’t realize it was going to be so controversial. The article Sophia cites by Okin is excellent. I like that Okin argues that FGM is practised in many cultures so that removing it not going to affect a culture’s distinctness. Many people in the cultures where FGM is practised view the practice as a human rights violation so when people say Western feminists are culturally insensitive for criticizing it I don’t find this view persuasive. Okin makes good points that when it comes to other practices in a culture, like hunting endangered species, there is less a sense that it is culturally insensitive to criticize such a practice. Preserving endangered species is viewed as something that all cultures must do regardless of their individual cultural practices. Why is respecting women’s human rights a different matter? There are some provocative videos at the website of Clitoraid.

  11. An Says:
    February 3, 2012 at 3:38 am

    PS. I did have trouble discussing this topic in a way that maximized student discussion. But I was a little concerned about the appropriateness of having an open discussion of whether FGM should be viewed as FC (a cultural practice that shouldn’t be criticized) or FGM. It seems like having an open discussion on whether child sexual abuse should be seen as sexual fondling (a less perjorative term) or sexual abuse. It can be demoralizing for students in the class who have experienced genital harm (such as through abuse or rape) to be subject to such liberal explorations. I think it is important when talking about FGM to show cultural sensitivity toward those in the class who have been victims of other forms of genital abuse in a culture in which these are rampant and condoned. Imagine too if there was a woman in a class who had experienced FGM and was very upset about it and then she had to listen to “both sides of the argument.”

  12. Mu Says:
    February 4, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    I was thinking of teaching Nussbaum’s article that was cited here and then supplementing it with a sort of reply: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1369823042000269366
    I found Chambers’ article very interesting and it brings up liberalism’s lack of focus on social construction
    Thoughts?

  13. Anonymous Says:
    February 7, 2012 at 5:55 pm

    hey

    my friend goes round doing talks about FGM, i think she’d be an awesome person to come to yr meeting to talk about it. she has a lot on but maybe she can make it, or has the meeting already gone?

    thanks

  14. Clinton: ‘Cultural Tradition’ is No Excuse For “Female Genital Mutilation” « Koolnews's Blog Says:
    February 17, 2012 at 12:52 am

    [...] Reader query: advice on discussing FGM? (feministphilosophers.wordpress.com) Share this:Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]


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