fun in anthropology

[Liss]

I just got out of my 300 student anthropology lecture and felt the need to share this story.

Some girl asked about female circumcision and the dangers of it. Our professor was explaining the different processes different cultures use, and the varied health risks of each one. A male TA spoke up and added something along the lines of, "In most places, the removal of the clitoris happens at a young age, so the girls are really not affected."

The female TA next to him shot up her hand and made one of those puckered faces some anal students do and said, really snottily and loudly, "you, sir, are misinformed. Most clitorectomies occur between the ages of 14 and 16, and that is not young, especially when the life expectancy is 40 years."

The guy mumbles, "relatively young, yes, it is."

So the girls stands up and hollers, "You want me to let you get to 16 years of age and then chop off your cock? Cuz I don't think you would be happy with that at all, you fucking moron!"

Apparently it was a subject that was close to her heart.

[Plain Old Jane]

i dont really have to remind you of cultural relativism, but it may very well be culturally acceptable. seeing other cultures through western ideals is extremely dangerous and damaging, its up to the women of that culture to fight for their right to have a clitoral orgasm, not middle-upper class western college students (or any western students at all) who know shit or very close to shit about other cultures and how to deal with them. Both of those people were wrong, you cant say anything at all about another cultures practices like its wrong or undamaging, all an anthropologist can do is observe and participate (if they want to).

(disclaimer: yes, 300 level, still, they know shit if they didnt pay attention to 101 enough to pick up on relativism.)

On a related note, happy v-day. i know mine was ^_^

[Liss]

sigh.

[johnny]

Both of those people were wrong, you cant say anything at all about another cultures practices like its wrong or undamaging, all an anthropologist can do is observe and participate (if they want to).psh, rules

[Mr Biglesworth]

Jep i'm pretty sure after 299 years of anthropology classes they'd know a little more than you do...

[Plain Old Jane]

you've gone all flat little sister, i shant play with you again til you've had a proper wash