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Male Circumcision and the Male Body in Turkey
Abstract
Male circumcision in Turkey is viewed as not only a religious obligation but also a rite of passage toward manhood. Young boys are typically circumcised between the ages of three and eleven and circumcision is ritualized through celebrations, gifts, and special outfits reminiscent of Ottoman sultans. This article examines the processes through which the ritual of male circumcision brings the male body into the fold of modern Turkish nationalism. It shows how the Turkish gender, religious, and nationalist ideology maps, via male circumcision, communal boundaries, and national borders, and their associated anxieties, onto the contours of the male body. In doing so, the article argues, the foreskin becomes associated with femininity, infidelity, and disloyalty. By examining the complex relationship between different modalities of power (disciplinary power, biopower, and necropower) and the body in Turkey, the article contributes to the literature on the relationship between masculinity, the body, and nationalism.
Discipline
Sociology
Geographic Area
Turkey
Sub Area
None