Questions on Fadiman

Fall 2000

ANT 185/AAS 185

Study guide for Week Starting October 23rd

Please read the following three articles in the Course Reader

Kathryn Morgan, “Women and the Knife”

Sally Sheldon and StephenWilkinson, “Female Genital Mutilation and Cosmetic Surgery”

Barbara Whitaker, “Cut to Fit”

These articles raise the question of whether the kind of criticism that is usually aimed by Euro-Americans at female genital cutting might also be aimed at the cultural practice of cosmetic surgery, within Euro-American society. For example, it may be argued that cosmetic surgery is a gender-oppressive practice that women feel pressured to undergo because of the social costs of not undergoing it.

What do you think? Are cosmetic surgery and female genital cutting in Africa comparable in any way? Why or why not? If they are comparable in any way, does this mean we should criticize female genital cutting less and cosmetic surgery more? Does it mean we should criticize neither? Does it mean we should denounce both? How does the comparison with Euro-American cosmetic surgery affect the way you think about female genital cutting?