Sudanese women in the United States : the double problem of gender and culture

Literaturverz. S. 189 - 204

This qualitative study of the experiences of circumcised Sudanese women in the United States tries to find out whether the immigration experience has affected the cultural perceptions of women, in particular their views about female circumcision (FC). Questions are focused on what exactly has changed in their lives that resulted in a change of attitude or behavior. Three focus groups of women of different age groups participated in the research. The study found that there is a change in women's perception of their culture and a high level of awareness of why the change came about. Change in gender relations inside the home is the main change for immigrant Sudanese women. Despite strong ties with the home culture these changes are accepted as good and necessary. There is an activism side to their change of attitude towards FC; it is no longer lip service to change. The married women's group is determined to use the acquired decision-making power to protect their daughters from the practice. This activism edge stemmed from their personal experiences of humiliation and horror during childbirth. Younger unmarried women saw FC as a practice that deprived them of their bodily integrity. Older women did not change their mind about the benefits of FC but saw it as detrimental to their granddaughters health and status in the United States. Table of Contents: Glossary * Acknowledgements * Foreword by W. Stephen Howard * Introduction * 1. Isolation in a Far-Away Land: The Story of Hajja Fatma * 2. A Portrait of the Artist as Immigrant * 3. Honorable Daughters: Single and Immigrant * 4. It is a Matter of Education * Final Notes