What would you as a Peace Corps volunteer do if faced with the request to attend a circumcision festival in the West African village you are working in?
On the one hand, my primary mission is to observe health welfare in the West African village and, therefore, attending this meeting is necessary to control the conditions under which the ceremony of circumcision takes place. On the other hand, the ritual is more associated with cultural traditions and customs of the African people and, therefore, I should not necessarily be present at the event, particularly in case it contradictions my cultural and moral virtues.
How would you respond to the village elders?
Village elders value their cultural virtues and respect their traditions. I also express my respect for their traditions, but I will not interfere with the procedure because it does not relate to my actual purpose of controlling the spread of diseases. Therefore, I will try to negotiate the conditions of attending my meeting. In particular, I will explain briefly my values and moral visions that do not correspond to the cultural perceptions and, therefore, I will agree to attend the meeting at the very beginning of the event to make sure that everything is done by the established norms to prevent the spread of infection.
Would you attend? Why or why not?
Respecting the culture of West African people is significant for sustaining balance in the village. On the one hand, I should prioritize the welfare of the residents and ignore my personal beliefs. On the other hand, the actual procedure contradicts my personal cultural beliefs and attitudes because it is not acceptable in my society. My mission, therefore, is to check whether all the procedures meet the sanitation requirements, but not to attend the entire ritual. Therefore, I will inform the elder villages that I would be present at the event, but to check the health and sanitation conditions under which girls undergo circumcision.
What are your “cultural limits”? How do you maintain your cultural limits while still respecting the cultural values of the people around you?
While living in the village, I have learned a lot about the culture, traditions, and rituals of the African people. I have realized that African culture is highly appraised by the villagers. I have also learned about the main cultural aspects of female genital mutilation that had deep roots in African history. Therefore, the practice constitutes special cultural rather than religious importance. The integration of the practice is so deep that it defines the cultural and ethnic identity of the African village.
Though it is a cultural practice, religion is indirectly connected to the practice because most of such rituals occur in African communities whose religious affiliation is opposed to Christian doctrine (Skaine, 2005). In addition to cultural values, the practice undermines ethical debate, as well as the role of culture in the emerged frictions.
The increased attention to female circumcision is also closely connected to the process of globalization that contributed to active cross-cultural exchange (Boyle, 2005). However, cultural awareness is much tangible in the developed societies where education and scientific evolution come to the forth (Shell-Duncanm 2000). In the developing economies, however, cultural acceptance is less recognized because of a shortage of necessary knowledge and practice. Increased commitment to cultural virtues allows African people to maintain their identity.
About the deep history of African traditions, I would not interfere with the core stages of the procedure, but with some of the aspects related to the physical health of females in the community.
What cultural value would influence your decision to attend or not attend?
From a cultural perspective, female circumcision has appeared as an underpinning for cultural relativism, as well as a method to approach intellectual, moral, and emotional heritage. More importantly, the cultural practices also reflect ethnological contributions, as well as theoretical underpinning that complements the overall vision of various cultures. In this respect, female genital mutilation goes beyond the established social, political, and global views on traditions and rituals.
Nevertheless, despite a deep understanding of the importance of the ritual, my mission is to explain to the villagers about the potential threats of girls’ circumcision, as well as provide possible recommendations to the elder villagers.
Global orientation on the cultural practices in the African villages is specifically emphasized because few health care professionals have managed to monitor the practice of female genital mutilation (Abusharaf, 2007). Therefore, the attention of the global community to diversity issues will present a tangible reason for me to attend the event and check the correspondence of the ritual to existing health care standards.
Respect for other cultures and moral prejudices is also important factors that trigger me to attend the ritual. More importance, attendance of the meeting, as well as moral and cultural acceptance of the procedure will also increase respect for my practices and activities. Therefore, there are greater chances that the elder villagers will listen to my advice to change the procedures to increase the welfare of young girls.
References
Abusharaf, R. M. (2007). Female Circumcision: Multicultural Perspectives.US: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Boyle, E. H. (2005). Female Genital Mutilation: Cultural Conflict in the Global Community. US: JHU Press.
Shell-Duncan, B. (2000). Female “Circumcision” in Africa. US: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Skaine, R. (2005). Female Genital Mutilation: Legal, Cultural, and Medical Issues. US: McFarland.