Infibulation is the most extreme form of female circumci- sion. It plays an important role in the Islamic societies of northeastern Africa. Until now, the social significance and function of this practice has been poorly understood. In this volume, Hicks analyzes female circumcision as a cultural trait embedded in a historically traditional milieu and shows why it cannot be treated in isolation as a single issue destined for elimination.

Figures, Maps, Plots, and Tables Preface xi Introduction 1. Infibulation: Description, Function, and Diffusion Function: Indigenous and Academic Perspectives Diffusion 2. The Socioeconomic Distribution of Infibulation Pastoralism in Northeastern Africa and the Sudan Pastoral-Rural-Urban Interaction and Infibulation 3. Infibulation in the Social Nexus Closed Cultural Systems Islam: A Closed Cultural System Social Space in Islamic Societies Gender Identification and Differentiation in Open and Closed Cultural Systems The Status Position of Women in Infibulation-Practicing Societies Marriage Customs and Laws: An Overview Male Absenteeism, Sexual Abstinence, Sleeping Arrangements, and Infibulation Fertility Levels and Patterns, Mortality and Birthrates, Sex Ratio Distribution, and Infibulation 4. Methodological Approach and Research Strategy The Problem of Sources Sample Selection and Statistical Analysis Statistical Analysis The HOMALS-technique 5. Infibulation and the Composite Variables The Variables Considered Marriage, Status, and the Practice of Infibulation Early Marriage and Infibulation The Composite Variables 6. The Future of Infibulation