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Male circumcision and marriage are significant cultural practices that mark a critical stage in a
person’s life in many African societies. Many rites of passage that exist, circumcision and marriage
are intertwined. Marriage and circumcision like other cultural themes have attracted wide
scholarship of diverse depths. Such studies have underlined, among others, the nature, forms, types
and even the place of the two initiation rites in society. What, however, has not received adequate
attention are the (re)negotiations and contestations between morality and masculinities in the context
of male circumcision and marriage. Based on this understanding, and drawing on the findings of a
qualitative study conducted in Kisii, and Homa Bay counties in South-Western Kenya, the
researchers in this paper argue that circumcision and initiation determine one’s masculinity, which
as well acts as a gateway to marriage and social wellbeing. Combined, the two cultural practices can
be presented as central morality and cultural notions that inform, underpin, and serve as the
dominant paradigms that direct the lives and activities of African people from birth to death. The
study suggests that despite its significance over decades, the practice of circumcision has changed
over time in relation to the importance people attach to it, how it is practiced, and the attention it
attracts from the society. The study recommends the need for a critical interrogation of morality in
relation to what fits individuals and the contemporary world as they practice the rites of passage,
while at the same time maintaining what is morally acceptable in the society. |
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