Females Rites of Initiation In Chad

在西方，女性割礼通常被视为一种传统的成年仪式，注定要随着现代化和文化的发展而消失。一些研究表明，这种仪式被当地社会视为抵抗殖民当局的一种形式。该项目研究最近通过的女性割礼以及将这一仪式纳入乍得一个社会的女性成长仪式的情况。研究人员将通过将这一事件置于其历史背景中来解释最近通过的仪式；研究女性割礼如何与当地文化的通过仪式和女性意义的变化以及当地社会与更高政治权威的关系有关；并记录当地对这一做法的各种支持和抵制。研究设计包括三个有独特女性割礼历史的村庄的案例研究。国际和平协会将使用参与者观察、半结构访谈和调查，以及对入会妇女和印心仪式中其他关键参与者的深入访谈。这项研究将促进我们对非伊斯兰撒哈拉以南人口中女性割礼的理解，并将推动关于女性割礼在更大的社会和文化背景下的作用的理论讨论。它还将增加我们对世界这一重要地区的了解

The use of female circumcision is typically seen in the West as a traditional rite of passage that is doomed to disappear with modernization and cultural development. Some studies have shown that the rite has been seen by local societies as a form of resistance against colonial authority. This project studies the recent adoption of female circumcision and the integration of this ritual into the female initiation ceremonies of a society in Chad. The researcher will provide an interpretive account of the recent adoption of the rite by situating the event within its historical context; study how female circumcision relates to shifts in the meaning of rites of passage and of womanhood for the local culture as well as the local society's relationship to higher political authority; and document local varieties of support and resistance for the practice. The research design includes cases studies in three villages with unique histories of exposure to female circumcision. The PI will use participant observation, semi-structured interviews and surveys as well as in-depth interviews with initiated women and other key players in the initiation ceremonies. This study will advance our understanding of female circumcision in non-Islamic, sub-Saharan populations, and will advance theoretical discussions about the role of female circumcision in the larger social and cultural setting. It will also add to our knowledge about this important region of the world