A 'SHOCKING' (?!) Ethiopian form of connection

Every culture has unique customs or beliefs that can be seen as odd or shocking to those who have lived outside of that cultural bubble.

One of the most surprising cultural differences between Australian and Ethiopian customs (to me at least) is our perception of socially acceptable intimacy within friendships.  

Acceptable In Ethiopia, Weird in Australia

In Adis Ababa, Ethiopian friends of the same sex can hold hands with one another without a second thought, despite being in a country where homosexuality is illegal. However if a man and a woman were to hold hands it would be frowned upon.

This would be weird if two straight males were doing this

When I learnt this, I was GOBSMACKED. Here in Melbourne Australia, hand holding is considered to be an intimate gesture reserved for lovers, or a physical sign of affection for childish young girls (teeny boppers).

Cute kids holding hands; Macho men don't like to be called cute

In Melbourne, two straight adult male friends would not seriously hold hands walking down Flinders Street for a myriad of reasons. One being that it is not considered a very masculine thing to do, as hand holding is generally perceived as childish or too effeminately affectionate. In addition, they might be considered to be in a homosexual relationship, and thus don't want to send the wrong image by holding hands.

 

PDA between friends is cool

However, would I feel culture shock (cs) seeing this completely foreign hand holding everywhere in Addis Ababa?  At first I said yes, this Ethiopian custom shocks me because it is completely opposite to my Australian conception of acceptable intimacy within friendships. However, now I learned that it is a source of cultural confusion (cc) , not shock as Hottola (2004) explains in his journal article 'Culture Confusion, Intercultural Adaptation in Tourism."   

Therefore to combat similar culture confusion it's best to do some research on the host culture of your destined country and to keep an open mind about further cultural oddities that you might find. Frankly, many cultures have different beliefs, and in a globalised community that's what makes our global culture interesting and colourful.

To Cut Or Not To Cut: A 'Ritualistic Bad Taste' pt 2

Female circumcision has always been a contentious issue between the outsiders who don't practice it and the insiders who do, and depending on where you grew up it may be a cultural bad or good taste. It involves the modification, whether it be major or minor, of the clitoris, labia, or vagina, and generally done on girls in their infancy up until they are 15 years old.

Ethiopia is one of many African and Islamic countries who practice female circumcision where  around 70%  (23. 8 million) of it's female population have undergone the ritual when they were young. Female circumcision for many Ethiopians is an integral part of the Ethiopian cultural ritual that determines girls' marriageability appeal and physical marker of womanhood to a prospective partner, which 'ensures their protection from material want,' (Jo Boyden 2012, pp1).

However as outsiders, many are horrified by this practice as evidenced through efforts by organisations like UNICEF to change the beliefs and attitudes of the populace so that they will discontinue the practice of female circumcision. Obviously it is difficult for us to have cosmopolitan attitude and "willingness to engage and be open'' in regards to female circumcision.

"I can't imagine putting my child through that," Lana Inglis on female circumcision

Yet in an effort to improve the attitudes and lifestyles of women who practice female circumcision; we may fail to be 'cosmopolitan' in that we judge the practice instead of seeking to understand it. In fact, we may be seeking to hybridise the cultural practices of the Ethiopians by removing female circumcision to better suit the tastes of Western beliefs. Though whether female circumcision is a benefit or detriment to Ethiopian women should remain as an Ethiopian debate, not be a concern of unknowing tourists impinging their values onto their host culture.

300 words

Sources:

• Boyden, Jo 2012, Why are current efforts to eliminate female circumcision in Ethiopia Misplaced? Culture, Health and Sexuality, Vol. 13, No. 10, pp 1111-1123
• Jonas, Tammi 2013, 'Being Cosmopolitan- Eating the Vernacular,' Cultural Studies Review, Vol.19, No 1, pp117-137;
• Rodgers, J 2007, 'Managing Cultural Diversity In Australia: Legislating Female Circumcision, Legislating Communities,' In Y Herlund And B Shell- Duncan (eds.), New Brunswick, pp. 135-156
• UNICEF 2013, Female Genital Mutilaton/ Cutting: A Statistical overview and exploration of the dynamics of change, UNICEF, viewed 1 September 2014,  www.unicef.org/esaro/FGCM_Lo_res.pdf