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The Psychology Department The Final Paper Dr. F. Cramer Presented By: Tim Abbas ID # 92 - 1356 Female Genital Mutilation, or Female Circumcision as sometimes called, is the partial or complete removal of the female clitoris immediately after birth, few years after birth (early childhood), or several years after birth (adolescence). Originally, female genital mutilation was practiced to ensure female virginity until marriage; as it was discovered that by the partial or complete removal of the clitoris, a female's sexual urge is minimized and, therefore, a girl could have more control over her sexual desires. Because virginity was and remains a very crucial factor in almost every society, circumcision was invented way in the past before any of the Heavenly Religions appeared.
In fact, the most traditional and conservative type of circumcision is the Pharoanic type (Infibulation), where the complete removal of the clitoris occurs and the vulva walls are stitched together leaving a small opening for urination and menstrual discharge. Nowadays, however, it continues to be practiced in Africa and the Middle East mostly due to social forces. New reasoning developed through the years to keep the ritual going on. The many reasons given for the practice are bewildering and unfounded in any scientific or medical fact. They fall into four main categories: psycho-sexual, religious, sociological and hygienic. Among the psycho-sexual reasons is a belief that the clitoris is an aggressive organ that threatens the male organ and even endangers babies during delivery.
It is believed that if a baby's head touches the mother's clitoris during birth, the child will be born with a low IQ. Hence, a girl who is not circumcised, is considered 'unclean' by local villagers and thus unmarriageable. A girl who does not have here clitoris removed is considered a great danger and ultimately fatal to a man if her clitoris touches his penis. Also, the circumcision issue is seen as a form of beauty.
It is seen as aesthetically beautiful, as genitals are disfiguring and ugly in their natural state (Real Net, 2). In short, nowadays the practice isn't done to explicitly mean that girls are untestable, but because, presently, the woman's clitoris is considered to be an ugly part in a woman's body and perceived to be harmful in many ways. And not long ago, Sigmund Freud wrote 'The elimination of clitoral sexuality is a necessary precondition for the development of femininity. " According to psychologists, the practice is known to be done in order to suppress women. A patriarchal society is what defines most of those African and Middle Eastern countries. It is argued that a man keeps his superiority over women by controlling every aspect in her life.
And since sexuality is such a major part in a human's life, a close control over this specific aspect in a woman meant to keep here under a tight male control. Circumcision ensures that a woman will not have had any sexual intercourse before marriage and thus is subject to what she is told to do by her husband. That is, due to past inexperience and low internal sexual drive, she is totally ignorant of what she is supposed to do regarding this matter. According to an article in the Real Net Access, "Women have been persuaded to see their sexual impulses in terms that suit men... man's pleasure is paramount and women are merely vehicles for procuring this enjoyment. " (Real Net, 2). Thus, the husband entails what should be done and what shouldn't, according to his preferences.
So, it is only when and how the husband needs; the wife here is reduced to nothing but an object of pleasure. Psychologists, thus, argue that to deny a woman the basic right to her sexuality, is to deny her the rights to having strength, power and identity. The inability of a women to regulate their lives in habilitates them; "they remain under the heels of patriarchal structures. " (Real Net, 1). Thus circumcised women, unable to have sex for pleasure's sake, are reduced to baby-makers.
Without the driving force to desire, they lost much of the power of self-initiative and, as a result, are more dependent on male authority to define their lives. As a result, a woman's integrity, worth and need in society is based on if she fits the sexual criteria. Many fear that an uncircumcised girl would be a social outcast whom no one will marry. In some societies, non-mutilated girls are " ridiculed and forced to leave their communities and fend for themselves. " (Real Net, 2). Usually, these girls turn to prostitution in order to survive, because they cannot otherwise survive within the context of their societies. The women have utter conviction that mutilation is an essential part of a fulfilling woman's life.
This notion was deep routed in their minds to the extent that when some women were asked why they have infibulated their daughters when they know themselves how much pain it causes them, their answers were: .".. it is because we love them. " (Real Net, 1). Women have been brainwashed by the dominating thought of the males in their societies to believe that pain and torture is their lot in life. These women have built and created their whole lives and identities, both as individuals and as part of a society, around the only image of reality they know.
Ultimately, pain to these women is a better choice than to be alienated. Even though Female genital mutilation is practiced mostly in Islamic countries, it is not an exclusively Islamic practice. Circumcision is a cross-cultural and cross-religious ritual. In Africa and The Middle East, it is performed by Muslims, Coptic's Christians, members of various indigenous groups, Protestants and Catholics. However, Muslims try to justify continuing the habit by relating it to "Sunnah"; That is, following the steps and customs of the Prophet " Mohammed." It is argued that The Sunnah version of circumcision (where the foreskin protecting the clitoris is removed) is the recommended one by the Prophet. It is supposedly confirmed that "Mohammed said: "Circumcision is a sunnah for the men and a makrumah for the women. " (Abu-Salih, 6).
The term makuta is far from clear but we can translate it into an honorable deed. So, both Sunnis and Shiites follow this tradition as the latter say that Imam Al- Sadiq also stated that it is a makuta, and is there anything better than a makrumah? (Abu-Salih, 6). On the other hand, attackers argue that the practice is not a religious...
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Research essay sample on Female Genital Mutilation Long Term Psychological Effects
