This essay aims to outline that within a liberal democratic society, in which everyone is free to do whatever they will, as long as it does not impose upon others freedoms, multiculturalists ultimately have to endorse practices they may regard as immoral, although the discussion around the topic is not that simple. For the basis of this argument we are assuming that multiculturalists in this context are living within a liberal democratic society, in which everyone is free to live their life as long as their actions do not impose upon others freedoms (Rawls, 1997). Multiculturalism is defined as the “co-existence of diverse cultures, where culture includes racial, religious or cultural groups and is manifested in customary behaviors, cultural
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It is unknown where FGM started or where it originated, although some historians and researchers have presented arguments linking it back to Ancient Egypt, where it spread to Northern Africa and the Middle East (UNICEF, 2013). The issue of FGM raises the same issues that male circumcision does, as the children who are subject to the procedure aren’t capable of making the decision themselves, and therefore the decision is left to the parents. In the cultures that practice FGM it is carried out by the mothers and grandmothers of the daughter who feel a social obligation to do so, this is coupled with the fact that in these cultures a women’s sexuality is defined differently to how it is in the West (UNICEF, 2013). Many people in the West condemn the practice despite the fact that it enjoys support throughout Africa, although attitudes are slowly changing. A 1983 study of Northern Sudan found that only 17.4% of women oppose FGM, while a number of studies conducted in 2006 found that over 50% of women in Mali, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Gambia and Egypt support FGM (UNICEF, 2013). In light of this information a multiculturalist living in a social democratic society dealing with the issue of migrants wanting to continue their cultural practices, would be forced to endorse this practice, as the state does not recognize the agency of the children that this procedure is performed on. Recent studies have shown that there can be a range of dangers associated with FGM, depending on the particular procedure performed, and so this would have to be considered in the
It is unknown where FGM started or where it originated, although some historians and researchers have presented arguments linking it back to Ancient Egypt, where it spread to Northern Africa and the Middle East (UNICEF, 2013). The issue of FGM raises the same issues that male circumcision does, as the children who are subject to the procedure aren’t capable of making the decision themselves, and therefore the decision is left to the parents. In the cultures that practice FGM it is carried out by the mothers and grandmothers of the daughter who feel a social obligation to do so, this is coupled with the fact that in these cultures a women’s sexuality is defined differently to how it is in the West (UNICEF, 2013). Many people in the West condemn the practice despite the fact that it enjoys support throughout Africa, although attitudes are slowly changing. A 1983 study of Northern Sudan found that only 17.4% of women oppose FGM, while a number of studies conducted in 2006 found that over 50% of women in Mali, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Gambia and Egypt support FGM (UNICEF, 2013). In light of this information a multiculturalist living in a social democratic society dealing with the issue of migrants wanting to continue their cultural practices, would be forced to endorse this practice, as the state does not recognize the agency of the children that this procedure is performed on. Recent studies have shown that there can be a range of dangers associated with FGM, depending on the particular procedure performed, and so this would have to be considered in the