Thesis (M.A.)--George Mason University, 2007. / Vita: p. 85. Thesis director: Paula Gilbert. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Foreign Languages. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed July 18, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-84). Also issued in print.

There is an adverse reaction to the practice of female circumcision in the West. This study investigates the adverse reaction to reveal the public discourse on female circumcision as one that is gendered. Using a critical discourse analysis, the study examines the body of Western discourses to explore the reproduction of system of gender hierarchy in the discourse. Guided by a theoretical analysis of the ‘private’/’public' divide through which feminine and masculine power is enforced, the study exposes ways in which similar power relation is sustained in the body of Western discourses on female circumcision. The study applies a textual analysis inquiring the language use of the Fran Hosken report and policy statements originating from the United States, United Kingdome, and international organizations. Using various themes that emerged during the textual analysis, the study deconstructs the body of Western discourses on female circumcision and presents the construction of femininity and masculinity. The findings suggest the discursive application of control and power grounded in rationality, science, knowledge and ways of being.

There is an adverse reaction to the practice of female circumcision in the West. This study investigates the adverse reaction to reveal the public discourse on female circumcision as one that is gendered. Using a critical discourse analysis, the study examines the body of Western discourses to explore the reproduction of system of gender hierarchy in the discourse. Guided by a theoretical analysis of the ‘private’/’public' divide through which feminine and masculine power is enforced, the study exposes ways in which similar power relation is sustained in the body of Western discourses on female circumcision. The study applies a textual analysis inquiring the language use of the Fran Hosken report and policy statements originating from the United States, United Kingdome, and international organizations. Using various themes that emerged during the textual analysis, the study deconstructs the body of Western discourses on female circumcision and presents the construction of femininity and masculinity. The findings suggest the discursive application of control and power grounded in rationality, science, knowledge and ways of being.

There is an adverse reaction to the practice of female circumcision in the West. This study investigates the adverse reaction to reveal the public discourse on female circumcision as one that is gendered. Using a critical discourse analysis, the study examines the body of Western discourses to explore the reproduction of system of gender hierarchy in the discourse. Guided by a theoretical analysis of the ‘private’/’public' divide through which feminine and masculine power is enforced, the study exposes ways in which similar power relation is sustained in the body of Western discourses on female circumcision. The study applies a textual analysis inquiring the language use of the Fran Hosken report and policy statements originating from the United States, United Kingdome, and international organizations. Using various themes that emerged during the textual analysis, the study deconstructs the body of Western discourses on female circumcision and presents the construction of femininity and masculinity. The findings suggest the discursive application of control and power grounded in rationality, science, knowledge and ways of being.

There is an adverse reaction to the practice of female circumcision in the West. This study investigates the adverse reaction to reveal the public discourse on female circumcision as one that is gendered. Using a critical discourse analysis, the study examines the body of Western discourses to explore the reproduction of system of gender hierarchy in the discourse. Guided by a theoretical analysis of the ‘private’/’public' divide through which feminine and masculine power is enforced, the study exposes ways in which similar power relation is sustained in the body of Western discourses on female circumcision. The study applies a textual analysis inquiring the language use of the Fran Hosken report and policy statements originating from the United States, United Kingdome, and international organizations. Using various themes that emerged during the textual analysis, the study deconstructs the body of Western discourses on female circumcision and presents the construction of femininity and masculinity. The findings suggest the discursive application of control and power grounded in rationality, science, knowledge and ways of being.

Diplomarbeit--Universität, Wien, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-166).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 262-278).

More than "100 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and more than three million girls are at risk for cutting each year on the African continent alone" (Population Reference Bureau 2009). The practice is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. Research has shown that reasons given for continuing the practice of FGC vary widely across cultural and social contexts. Little research has been conducted towards understanding and predicting attitudes toward FGC, which in turn can help inform program policy in the hopes of better understanding the socio-cultural complexities inherent in the practice of FGC. This study suggests that with increased levels of education support for FGC decreases. Additionally, access to media was shown to have a significant impact on support for the practice. This study found that men and women experience and are influenced by media in different ways. Media based abandonment programs must acknowledge the gender gap in media access and direct their programs towards the most appropriate outlet for the target group. This study‟s most significant finding is that the strongest predictor of a woman‟s attitude towards FGC is whether she herself has undergone the procedure. Women who have undergone FGC will likely support the continuation of the practice. Encouraging these women to forgo the practice and let their daughters experience their bodies differently from their mothers is the greatest challenge abandonment programs face.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-95). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has been a tough topic to discuss in both local and global spheres. In the past twenty years however, a space has been created for it in the public consciousness. The object of this study is to trace the shifts that have occurred in how FGM has been talked about and make the ongoing dialogue visible. This is achieved by examining feminist debates, human rights discourse and the media as not only primary definers of the issue but also as sites of discourse production. / In moving from the local to global agenda, more actors have become involved in the debates and as such have further complexified an already complex practice. Each site offers a unique perspective and representation on the FGM controversy and has contributed to how the West has made meaning of the practice.