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The Role of Traditional Male Circumcision in Moral Transmission among African Communities
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Religion
Abstract
Traditional male circumcision is a deeply rooted practice in various African cultures, serving as a pivotal rite of passage from childhood to adulthood. This paper explores the vital role that traditional male circumcision plays in transmitting moral values and preparing initiates for adulthood in African communities, with a particular focus on the Bukusu ethnic group of western Kenya. The study employs a qualitative approach, primarily relying on secondary sources such as ethnographic accounts, anthropological studies, and scholarly articles. The analysis examines the general pattern and stages of traditional male circumcision rites in Africa, the moral and educational aspects embedded in the separation, transition, and reintegration phases, and the specific moral values and lessons imparted to Bukusu initiates during the circumcision ritual. The paper also investigates how modernization has impacted the moral transmission role of Bukusu circumcision. The findings suggest that traditional male circumcision serves a crucial function in passing on moral values and transforming boys into responsible adults in African communities. The Bukusu case illustrates how the rite cultivates virtues such as courage, discipline, and respect. However, modernizing influences have undermined but not eliminated the moral significance of the practice. The paper concludes by offering recommendations for preserving and documenting the moral education dimensions of traditional circumcision, adapting the ritual to changing times while maintaining its core character-building elements, and conducting further research on the effects of modernization on circumcision's moral transmission role.
Keywords
Traditional Male Circumcision, Moral Transmission, Bukusu
References
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[2] Egesah, O. B. (2015). The decline of traditional circumcision amongst the Bukusu of Western Kenya. Journal of Anthropological Sciences, 93, 41-57.
[3] Kibebe, W., & Mutua, L. (2012). The emerging trends in Luhya circumcision ceremony among the Bukusu community in Bungoma North District: A socio-economic perspective. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 1(11), 398-413.
[4] Makwa, J. C. (2012). Imbalu: The Bukusu circumcision ceremony. Nairobi: Kenway Publications.
[5] Mavundla, T. R., Netswera, F. G., Bottoman, B., & Toth, F. (2009). Rationalization of indigenous male circumcision as a sacred religious custom: Health beliefs of Xhosa men in South Africa. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 20(4), 395-404.
[6] Morell, R., Jewkes, R., & Lindegger, G. (2011). Hegemonic masculinity/masculinities in South Africa: Culture, power, and gender politics. Men and Masculinities, 15(1), 11-30.
[7] Niang, C. I., & Boiro, H. (2007). "You can also cut my finger!": Social construction of male circumcision in West Africa, a case study of Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. Reproductive Health Matters, 15(29), 22-32.
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[9] Simiyu, R. N. (2015). Socio-cultural significance of circumcision songs within the changing Babukusu community of Bungoma County, Western Kenya. International Journal of African Cultural Studies, 27(1), 103-118.
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How to cite this paper
@article{1705850,
author = {Anne Nekesa Wepukhulu},
title = {The Role of Traditional Male Circumcision in Moral Transmission among African Communities},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2024},
volume = {7},
number = {11},
pages = {484-489},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1705850.pdf},
abstract = {Traditional male circumcision is a deeply rooted practice in various African cultures, serving as a pivotal rite of passage from childhood to adulthood. This paper explores the vital role that traditional male circumcision plays in transmitting moral values and preparing initiates for adulthood in African communities, with a particular focus on the Bukusu ethnic group of western Kenya. The study employs a qualitative approach, primarily relying on secondary sources such as ethnographic accounts, anthropological studies, and scholarly articles. The analysis examines the general pattern and stages of traditional male circumcision rites in Africa, the moral and educational aspects embedded in the separation, transition, and reintegration phases, and the specific moral values and lessons imparted to Bukusu initiates during the circumcision ritual. The paper also investigates how modernization has impacted the moral transmission role of Bukusu circumcision. The findings suggest that traditional male circumcision serves a crucial function in passing on moral values and transforming boys into responsible adults in African communities. The Bukusu case illustrates how the rite cultivates virtues such as courage, discipline, and respect. However, modernizing influences have undermined but not eliminated the moral significance of the practice. The paper concludes by offering recommendations for preserving and documenting the moral education dimensions of traditional circumcision, adapting the ritual to changing times while maintaining its core character-building elements, and conducting further research on the effects of modernization on circumcision's moral transmission role.},
keywords = {Traditional Male Circumcision, Moral Transmission, Bukusu},
month = {May},
}