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Rethinking female circumcision

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2011

Melissa Parker
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Résumé

La circoncision féminine est pratiquée dans plus de vingt pays africains ainsi que dans un certain nombre de pays du Moyen Orient, et il a été estimé quʼau moins 100 million de femmes ont été circonsisées dans le monde. Il est frappant, cependant, que beaucoup plus de préoccupations aient été exprimées au sujet de la circoncision féminine quʼà propos de la santé reproductrice des femmes. Dans le milieu intellectuel, il est aussi intéressant de voir que les gynécologues, les épidémiologues et les antropologues ont eu tendance à se concentrer sur un nombre de questions assez limitées, et encore celles-ci ont été rarement examinées en profondeur.

Cet article examine le travail des chercheurs en Europe et en Amérique du Nord afin de montrer que des émotions intenses soulignent cet intérêt et ces préoccupations. Au milieu de l'intérêt grandissant porté à l'antropologie des émotions, il est suggéré quʼune plus grande attention devrait être prêtée à essayer de comprendre la source de ces émotions et la manière dont celles-ci influencent l'enquête de terrain et l'analyse des données. Jusquʼà ce que cela se produise, notre compréhension de la circoncision féminine restera seulement partielle comme les données continuent à être rassemblées et analysées de façon inadéquate.

Type
The meanings of sexuality
Information
Africa , Volume 65 , Issue 4 , October 1995 , pp. 506 - 523
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1995

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