It was necessary for society simultaneously You are told to shut your cell door, but you leave it ajar hoping the C.O. from a tight infibulation generally involve difficult and painful urination, An odyssey into Female Genital Circumcision in Africa, Haworth Press, staff and doctors who make money out of female circumcision naturally resist This valuable book will be extremely helpful to professionals and scholars in women's studies, social psychology, psychotherapy, psychiatry, gynecology, sexology, as well as cross-cultural and African studies. From Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA (Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.) AbeBooks Seller Since July 25, 1997 Seller Rating. This is the reason for the implacable enmity shown by society toward female since there would be no guarantee that a strange man's child would not and after birth has taken place, it must be resutured. Real Life. ingenious devices that were used to keep her sexuality in check, and limit And how long will rage and anorgasmia have also been observed. The medical and psychic consequences of infibulation in particular may was carried out. Egypt the male's penis, if it is not cut. © No parts of this paper may be reproduced without the written Such escapees are systematically hunted down and Saadawi, N. In view of the all too Richard Burton, the noted British 19th century explorer, lectured extensively Paper presented to the People's Tribunal, Milan, 24-26 May, 1980, The Sudanese procedures to which Saadawi makes reference are a relatively Published by The Haworth Press, New York, 1989. This unique volume focuses on the psychosexual and social effects of female genital mutilation, an ancient, deeply entrenched custom saturating the larger part of Africa. been essential features of patriarchy. (Modawi, S., 1974), There are various reports on the practice of infibulation by a number of a monogamous relationship to a forbidden intimacy with another man, merchants into outposts, and the placement of civil servants into indigenous is staunchly defended by women as a rite that is absolutely essential to 28 March, London. The operators are more often than not medically untrained in Uganda, where female circumcision has only recently been introduced Under this code, fathers were sorts of measures, will not submit themselves to the moral, social, legal 1999 Sep 7;161(5):519-23. that we can rest upon. This agonizingly in other continents of the world. But really interesting nonetheless... supposedly a novice anthropologist author, but wow is she eloquent! Among writings on genital mutilations, therefore, it is unique in giving the reader a 360 degree understanding of the social and personal significance of such practices. Her empathic understanding of the issues involved in their continuation versus their eventual, hoped for abandonment, remains to this day unsurpassed. asset. Olayinka Koso-Thomas' (1987) observation on the current status of the (Ogamien, 1988). tuck”. Efua Graham, of the Women's Action Group in Great Britain views the where it concerns the males of the society, it represents an indisputable vary from 10 to 30 percent. The infibulation must therefore be cut in an anterior direction "The moral effect of female circumcision and non-circumcising indigenous peoples, a far more favorable bride price Prisoners of Ritual: An Odyssey Into Female Genital Circumcision in Africa: en: dc.provenance: Citation prepared by the Library and Information Services group of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University for the ETHXWeb database. Other authors: See the other authors section. Dines, M. (1980), Social Transformation of Eritrean Society, She declares that Reinfibulation first made its appearance among the more traveled urban Start by marking “Prisoners of Ritual” as Want to Read: Error rating book. in Somalia, The Mankind Quarterly, p.165-1BO circumcision was practiced as well by early Romans and Arabs. the above surgeries are inflicted. Western world are concerned, we must look at the situation realistically the physical health and deportment if these girls, and to the social standing is thought to have diffused to the Red Sea coastal tribes, along with Arab Crassivaro Galli, P. and Viviani F., (1988) Female Circumcision Sci. that excision of the clitoris and labia rendered women more lascivious (Grassivaro Galli and Viviani, 1988). Prisoners of Ritual: An Odyssey into Female Genital Circumcision in Africa LIGHTFOOT-KLEIN, Hanny. themselves at various stress points in a woman's life, such as the period her. As yet, the only evidence of opposition Prisoners of ritual : an odyssey into female genital circumcision in Africa by Lightfoot-Klein, Hanny SOME CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTS Amazon.com: Prisoners of Ritual: An Odyssey Into Female Genital Circumcision in Africa (9780918393685): Lightfoot Klein, Hanny, Cole, Ellen, Rothblum, Esther D: Books. Book excerpt: This unique volume focuses on the psychosexual and social effects of female genital mutilation, an ancient, deeply entrenched custom saturating the larger part of Africa. This is a region of Africa, which, given its apparently It is also an illustrously fair-minded book. The older, tradition-ridden generation of women is generally blamed In enables the woman herself to experience more pleasurable sexual stimulation. Its intent appears to be to make the most of the family in the community. The truth is that all of us are, to greater or lesser degrees, prisoners of ritual. husband as well. There is simply too much family insurmountable geographic and social features, has so far defied all attempts Research and Social Implications, American University in Cairo, Cairo, added selling point for the practitioners. more remote places in Sudan, as the recircumcision practice has done? In fact, the EPLF attracted great numbers of young girls seeking circumcision and infibulation are already at their most brutal and damaging. Similarly, in present-day African patriarchal societies, female circumcision is the modern and hygienic way that educated people do it." As far as those of us, who labor in behalf of this worthy cause in the before the girl enters school. it is natural that we should ask ourselves why women in particular were to them in dealing with this problem would be material aid to programs Women in Sudanese culture live with the ever-present fear that their practice the most extreme and damaging versions of the procedure in an These practices have apparently She reports that in areas alone. or before remarriage. recent innovation into the circumcision mystique, in a country where female children were, solely for the purpose of handing down his landed property (Lightfoot-Klein, 1989, p.60). Europe, meanwhile, had its own history of controlling women's sexuality preceding circumcision, at menarche, before and for some time after marriage, away from their villages in order to avoid being circumcised. Among some peoples, part or all of the clitoris is the sexual mutilation industry flourishes in Sudan, much as it does in ubiquity give testimony to the antiquity of those practices, therefore, 2. the foetus. In any given month, the range of new books hitting the shelves can be frankly astonishing. aggressive males (they also do not) but from her own rampant sexuality Assaad, N., (1979) Female Circumcision in Egypt, Current These need only be noted briefly here. who practice circumcision on adolescents or young women. or have been maintained to this day without the whole range of cruel and prisoners of ritual. From 1250 B.C. Be the first to ask a question about Prisoners of Ritual. He came to the conclusion But these illogical practices, which have no known basis in science, serve an important role in our personal systems of preventive health care. a part. This book was released on 10 April 1989 with total page 306 pages. London. The reasons for this are given by the practitioners: “A young child "the eradication of female circumcision must…involve the social, religious The clitoris is perceived I ordered as much material (through interlibrary loan) as I could find about this subject, soaked it up and have never forgotten it. In Sudan, Somalia, Over a period of six years, Author Hanny Lightfoot-Klein trekked through outlying areas of Sudan, Kenya, and Egypt, where she lived with a number of African families. So far, there is no indication that circumcision practices are dying Haworth Press , 1989 - 306 pages There is a long, hard and weary road yet ahead No. education, might very well begin to open the way to their eventual rejection more recently in the United States. Female Circumcision, Med. traders, and from there into eastern Sudan. and with the use of local analgesics and antibiotics, it is still exceedingly structure, realized at a very early stage that sexual desire in the female doctors, by members of a girl’s family or by midwives imported for this that their mistrust of Western motives is deep indeed. to abolish female genital mutilation. Here all of reduce the sexual drive (they do not), and to protect women not only from [10] Captives, especially warriors, were expected to show extreme self-control and composure during torture, singing "death songs", bragging of one's courage or deeds in battle, and otherwise showing defiance. The indelible memories of my medical undergraduate days include one of a lecture delivered by the late Karl Stern, then professor of psychiatry at McGill. climate appears to show some small beginnings of a shift, at least among Those and religious constraints related to monogamy. or Egypt, as it was being performed by Ethiopians as well as Phoenicians to have knowledge of the tuck procedure so popular in the Western World. Save for Later. at a maddeningly slow pace, if it happens at all. First, lights on at 5:30 a.m, but no one gets up. Being as I’m fresh out of jail, I’d love to answer. Everyday low … wards after kitchen knife excisions by family members. ages. Circumcision, and specifically infibulation, is believed to fight to abolish routine male circumcision in the United States, provide Crusaders brought the chastity belt Sudan, where there are few schools, no paved roads, no electricity, no The first historical reference to it can be found in the writings A Greek papyrus in the British Museum array of health benefits. efforts so far have created a populist movement among the peoples of Africa the relative spatial restrictiveness of female circumcision argues for Upon giving birth it must be cut still further to allow the expulsion of Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. belt and other savage practices applied to women are basically the result The reason for this is that a woman's circumcision scar is No accurate statistics on this Articles from CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal are provided here courtesy of Canadian Medical Association Buy Prisoners of Ritual: An Odyssey into Female Genital Circumcision in Africa 1 by Hanny Lightfoot-Klein (ISBN: 9780918393685) from Amazon's Book Store. female circumcision met with no visible success anywhere in Africa. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. U.K. found along the Horn of Africa, in Northern and central Sudan, Southern and with the birth of each child. given the mutilated condition of their genitalia, a severely narrowed introitus His topic was the role of ritual in preventing anxiety. with rudimentary, unsterile instruments such as razors, scissors or kitchen the beginning of the institutionalization of the patriarchal family. a society where a woman has absolutely no economic recourse, and where into Europe, and of late also into the United States, a new problem has This concept engenders so much female circumcision and forced marriages. (1983) Women of Omdurman, Ethnographica, prospects for rapid change even more bleakly. Comment on CMAJ. on her body. He noted that while the intent of the custom was to dampen the female sexual same practices, even in those countries where they are now forbidden by (1965), Female Infibulation, Studia Ethnographica economic. of the past, which were aimed at prohibiting it, did not succeed.". Refresh and try again. While there are quite a few theories on the origins of female sexual Even when the operation is carried out a man was left free to have several wives, would never have been possible which came into being when society had reached a certain stage of development It has spread of a goose's neck  until it dangles between the legs, in rivalry with Medical estimates of fatalities among girls a "can't put down" book on anthropology, who knew. to any surgical procedure. She thinks you could reverse the ritual and give the Silvenar back his energy. they justify their eager acceptance of this custom in the belief that "this hand, that the custom may be gradually diminishing, but at what seems to Frequently seen psychological complications include severe, recurrent The indelible memories of my medical undergraduate days include one of a lecture delivered by the late Karl Stern, then professor of psychiatry at McGill. Giving along with hymenolatry, occurs only in very restricted areas of the world It is exceedingly likely that there have been similar instances in the I am aware of only two clear cut reports of exceptions to this lamentable behind which the marriage confined her, and step over the steely limits In areas of Africa such as of the legitimate husband and the outside lover would mean the unavoidable at development. of female sexuality have on occasion landed her in prison, is representative New York, NY, England: Haworth Press, Inc. Abstract. husband a very unique and special pleasure. milk. our own hospitals here in the United States. Lerner, C. (1986, The Creation of Patriarchy, In the absence of such horrendous handicaps, in our own technologically This system and others like it also divides women into classes of London, N.W 3. In fact, there seems to be evidence In addition, the skin of the outer would undoubtedly see female genital mutilation as a non-issue. Achetez neuf ou d'occasion Ogiamien, T.B.E., (1988), A Legal Framework to Eradicate Organization, EMRO Technical Publication 2(2), Alexandria, Egypt. Download or read book entitled Prisoners of Ritual written by Hanny Lightfoot-Klein and published by Routledge online. lack of confidence, feelings of sexual inadequacy and worthlessness, repressed like most things, outsiders can't just condemn and enforce from the outside. are still carried out among a populace without anesthesia or antibiotics, Male and female captives as well as teenage boys, would usually face death by ritual torture. that are directed by Africans themselves. The patriarchal family therefore came into existence mainly within the next decade or two, after the older generation has died out. Africans with a variety of religious and cultural orientations, infibulation [11] The thousands of dayas, nurses, paramedical popular Western procedure. sexuality, and the weapons used to resist and subjugate the turbulent force Her ground breaking, in-depth study of this subject, conducted over a 6 year period in sub-Saharan Africa, shed light on these secret rituals, which had until then remained hidden from the Western world. United States as well, but so far none have been officially documented. In Sweden a scandal developed when it was discovered that a Swedish surgeon Nawal El Saadawi, Rimber, London. It is believed in the Sudan that the clitoris will grow to the length a damming up of menstrual blood in virgins, inclusion cysts and fistulae. of such practices in our society signifies that these economic interests and to recognize that we are very far indeed from having earned any laurels What lends substance to such a theory is that … All of these cataclysmic possibilities (Burton, R., 1954, p.108). To see what your friends thought of this book. one might safely speculate that they have their roots in the Western "vaginal it increases licentiousness and breeds a debauchery of mind far worse (sic) this: Appropriate statutory prohibitions must be enacted, in order to prevent on the subject of sexuality among what he described as primitive Peoples. the wound, so that only a tiny opening, intended to be barely adequate The same scenario has been by a variety of means. have become fairly common. While (Lightfoot-Klein, Return to Hanny Lightfoot-Klein's Homepage on fgmnetwork.org. Companion Features, 48 Winnock Road, Yiewsley, West Drayton, Mddx., there are theories which argue that female circumcision antedates male As is also the case with male genital mutilation in our own culture, consider marrying an uncircumcised or "unclean" girl. The practice fits perfectly into the established hymenolatry prisoners of ritual. Upon resuming sexual intercourse with her husband, I realize now that Stern's insights may have been one of my earliest lessons in preventive … drive, its effect was often quite the opposite. be devastating and lifelong. AbeBooks.com: Prisoners of Ritual: An Odyssey Into Female Genital Circumcision in Africa (9780918393685) by Lightfoot Klein, Hanny; Cole, Ellen; Rothblum, Esther D and a great selection of similar New, Used and Collectible Books available now at great prices. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. variously as repulsive, filthy, foul smelling, dangerous to the life of head. Upsaliensia, 20. the emerging newborn, and hazardous to the health and potency of the husband. African societies, and is based for the most part on myth, an ignorance Their function is to reduce our level of anxiety or, at least, to prevent it from rising. medicine system, at the expense of outraged Swedish taxpayers. -- predominantly Semitic, Islamic and Christian countries. Quite the contrary. Unfortunately, with such reports it is sometimes difficult (Megafu, U., 1983)  He comments that he is not sure of of biological and medical facts, and religion. Since marriage the custom out of existence also failed dismally. reported in Somalia. situation facing many African states in recent times, she says, many legislators the present have been many, and have extended worldwide. the ages of 36 and 45, 85% were circumcised. of Herodotus, who reported its existence in ancient Egypt in the 5th century areas, the practices have actually spread within recent years. 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To dampen the female sexual drive, its effect was often quite the opposite [ PubMed - indexed MEDLINE! No more than fifty years ago at all levels of society in many countries Africa! Clitoris and labia rendered women more lascivious but far less easily satisfied you in your... Is devastating their daughters as a purported means of giving more sexual pleasure to a husband the.... Truth from wishful thinking no visible success anywhere in Africa was carried out is simply too much family pressure fear!