Contingency and Change in Cultural Practices: Decision Making in the Gambia and Senegal

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

Across many regions of Africa, female genital cutting (FGC) is a traditional cultural practice. Anthropologists and others have described a wide range of situations in which the practice is being abandoned, modified, or adopted anew. This project will study decision-making by individuals, families, and communities to engage in FGC in four sites in the Gambia and Senegal, which are experiencing change in the practice of FGC. Decision-making processes vary in terms of decision-makers as well as influences shaping opinions surrounding the practice, and often relate to broader local debates about national, ethnic and cultural identity. This study will analyze decision-making and behavior change regarding FGC, examining three dimensions of the FGC decision-making process: 1) contingencies for adopting change; 2) readiness for change; and 3) motivation to proceed with change. The project will assess the nature and magnitude of changes in the practice of FGC in Senegambian communities where the process of change is most dynamic; will investigate the decision-making process regarding change, abandonment, or adoption of the practice of FGC; will identify social factors which represent contingencies for changing the practice of FGC; will identify constructs that influence the perception of advantages and disadvantages of FGC and that influence motivation to proceed with change; and will assess whether changes in the nature of FGC (age at time of cutting, type of cutting, medicalization, and ritual) influence motivation to abandon or adopt FGC. Quantitative and qualitative methods will be employed in an integrated manner across three phases. Phase I will involve qualitative research (interviews and focus group discussions) intended to elucidate options regarding the practice of FGC, stages experienced in the change process, and contingencies or constructs influencing the motivation to proceed with change. Phase II will involve the administration of a survey questionnaire to 2400 randomly sampled women under age 50 who have given birth to at least one daughter. Information from Phase I will be used to develop questions on readiness for change and constructs influencing decision-making. The decisional balance segment of the questionnaire will also be administered to other identified participants in the decision-making process. Phase III will involve follow-up qualitative research to elucidate findings from the survey research. Broader Impact: An improved understanding of the behavior change process and factors motivating change in FGC be of great interest to policy makers and other societal interest groups concerned about the effects of the practice.