Between Generations
Consider the cross-cultural irony of the Sambian initiation ritual. Boys become men by fellating their elders and ingesting their semen. But the same homosexual act performed in industrial cultures may effectively feminize men. There may be an accompanying irony in ritual nose bleeding and menstruation as well. Discuss the contexts that makes the Sambian or American views on gender possible. Is the same sexual act transformed in its symbolic and social meaning from one culture to the other?
solution preview
Different people have different cultures, which might seem disgusting or evil to other people. For example, the Sambian culture of transforming boys to men by fellating their elders and ingesting their semen will be viewed as acts of homosexuality in some cultures. However among the Sambians, this is just seen as a ritual which has to be performed before a boy fully transforms into a man. During the ritual, the elderly do not view it as a period for leisure but just as a period for performing a normal task. As a result of this, the Sambian people do not view this custom as a form of feminizing men (
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