The Male Neonatal Circumcision Debate: Social Movements,Sexual Citizenship, and Human Rights

Male circumcision is known to be one of the oldest and perhaps one of the most controversial body modification procedures in the history of humanity (Darby 2005; Gollaher 1994, 2000; Grimes 1980). Such scholars and activists, especially those who self-identify as being against the routinized procedure of male neonatal circumcision, discuss circumcision as a human rights violation. However, what is notable about the anti-circumcision movement more broadly is how they implement a Western notion of human rights in which there are contradictions between the rights of children versus the concept of cultural rights, which are both religious and secular in nature. In this article, I provide a very brief literature review of the relevant topics regarding male circumcision from a Western perspective. Second, I demonstrate how newer social movements such as the anti-circumcision/intactivist movements have attempted to reframe the procedure as a human rights violation when they compare circumcision to other body modification procedures such as female genital cutting (FGC) and surgery done on children born intersexed. However, those who feel that circumcision is a religious act believe that to deny any group of people the ability to practice their own religion freely is, in itself, a human rights violation. I conclude with a discussion of the ways in which such Western notions of human rights are not only inherently contradictory but also fail to include other conceptualizations of what human rights as a global term broadly incorporates

Flipped Classroom Experiences in an Introductory Sociology Course

Much recent literature has focused on the development and benefits of a flipped classroom (Fulton 2012; Sams and Bergmann 2011). However, the majority of that literature is devoted to research conducted primarily in STEM-focused courses (Berrett 2012; Brame 2013; Moore, Gillett and Steele 2014). There appears to be very little research on the context or benefits of a flipped classroom in the social sciences, including sociology. Thus, the overall purpose of my interactive presentation is to provide context and explain the process behind a flipped classroom in the social sciences and to model a class activity in which participants are actively engaged and can use in their own classes

The Male Neonatal Circumcision Debate: Social Movements,Sexual Citizenship, and Human Rights

Male circumcision is known to be one of the oldest and perhaps one of the most controversial body modification procedures in the history of humanity (Darby 2005; Gollaher 1994, 2000; Grimes 1980). Such scholars and activists, especially those who self-identify as being against the routinized procedure of male neonatal circumcision, discuss circumcision as a human rights violation. However, what is notable about the anti-circumcision movement more broadly is how they implement a Western notion of human rights in which there are contradictions between the rights of children versus the concept of cultural rights, which are both religious and secular in nature. In this article, I provide a very brief literature review of the relevant topics regarding male circumcision from a Western perspective. Second, I demonstrate how newer social movements such as the anti-circumcision/intactivist movements have attempted to reframe the procedure as a human rights violation when they compare circumcision to other body modification procedures such as female genital cutting (FGC) and surgery done on children born intersexed. However, those who feel that circumcision is a religious act believe that to deny any group of people the ability to practice their own religion freely is, in itself, a human rights violation. I conclude with a discussion of the ways in which such Western notions of human rights are not only inherently contradictory but also fail to include other conceptualizations of what human rights as a global term broadly incorporates

The Male Anti-Circumcision Movement: Ideology, Privilege, and Equity in Social Media

Social media has become a primary way in which various social movements may attempt to gain traction within larger frames of cultural discourse (Obar, Zube, and Lampe 2012). However, not all movements that profess human rights and equality goals are truly egalitarian in their orientation. Many men’s movements are ostensibly about gender equality but fall short of their claims because they fail to come to terms with issues of privilege (Kimmel 2013; Messner 1997, 1998). While the male anti-circumcision movement (sometimes referred to as the Intactivist movement) is less radically anti-feminist and has utilized social media to develop and maintain connections with other human rights movements, it has broadly continued to resist feminist critique and has limited its own achievement of human rights goals. We argue that, by using social media as a way to gain a wider audience and following, many tactics of the Intactivist movement have also alienated many potential supporters because of its fractured message and misalignment with actual equality, which has inhibited its overall growth as a social movement. We draw on Messner’s (1997) model of men’s movements to reflect on the limitations of the Intactivist movement. Through a discussion of examples of such tactics and a case study analysis, we suggest recognizing privilege as a way to align the movement’s interests in human rights and gender equality

The Male Anti-Circumcision Movement: Ideology, Privilege, and Equity in Social Media

Social media has become a primary way in which various social movements may attempt to gain traction within larger frames of cultural discourse (Obar, Zube, and Lampe 2012). However, not all movements that profess human rights and equality goals are truly egalitarian in their orientation. Many men’s movements are ostensibly about gender equality but fall short of their claims because they fail to come to terms with issues of privilege (Kimmel 2013; Messner 1997, 1998). While the male anti-circumcision movement (sometimes referred to as the Intactivist movement) is less radically anti-feminist and has utilized social media to develop and maintain connections with other human rights movements, it has broadly continued to resist feminist critique and has limited its own achievement of human rights goals. We argue that, by using social media as a way to gain a wider audience and following, many tactics of the Intactivist movement have also alienated many potential supporters because of its fractured message and misalignment with actual equality, which has inhibited its overall growth as a social movement. We draw on Messner’s (1997) model of men’s movements to reflect on the limitations of the Intactivist movement. Through a discussion of examples of such tactics and a case study analysis, we suggest recognizing privilege as a way to align the movement’s interests in human rights and gender equality

The Male Anti-Circumcision Movement: Ideology, Privilege, and Equity in Social Media

Social media has become a primary way in which various social movements may attempt to gain traction within larger frames of cultural discourse (Obar, Zube, and Lampe 2012). However, not all movements that profess human rights and equality goals are truly egalitarian in their orientation. Many men’s movements are ostensibly about gender equality but fall short of their claims because they fail to come to terms with issues of privilege (Messner 1997, 1998). While the male anti-circumcision movement (sometimes referred to as the Intactivist movement) is less radically anti-feminist and has utilized social media to develop and maintain connections with other human rights movements, it has broadly continued to resist feminist critique and has limited its own achievement of human rights goals. We argue that, by using social media as a way to gain a wider audience and following, many tactics of the Intactivist movement have also alienated many potential supporters because of its fractured message and misalignment with actual equality, which has inhibited its overall growth as a social movement. We draw on Messner’s (1997) model of men’s movements to reflect on the limitations of the Intactivist movement. Through a discussion of examples of such tactics and a case study analysis, we suggest recognizing privilege as a way to align the movement’s interests in human rights and gender equality

From Tactics to Praxis: Learning Feminist Pedagogy through Methodology

Through a self-reflexive and ongoing process, in this paper we chronicle how we as graduate students learned about feminist pedagogy through methodology. Primarily, we noted dilemmas in feminist methodology that became central dilemmas for us in our roles as feminist research guides within a combined graduate and undergraduate feminist methodologies course. As we became aware of these specific dilemmas, not only did we attempt to apply them to the research we were conducting for an institutional ethnographic research project on campus safety, but we also found them to be central pedagogical concerns in ways that were both unique and similar to each individual graduate student. Our analysis focuses on the insider/outsider dilemma, self-reflection, and multiple subjectivities in the hopes that we can share our experiences of what became a vital and unique learning experience

Genome sequencing reveals Zika virus diversity and spread in the Americas

Although the recent Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas and its link to birth defects have attracted a great deal of attention, much remains unknown about ZIKV disease epidemiology and ZIKV evolution, in part owing to a lack of genomic data. Here we address this gap in knowledge by using multiple sequencing approaches to generate 110 ZIKV genomes from clinical and mosquito samples from 10 countries and territories, greatly expanding the observed viral genetic diversity from this outbreak. We analysed the timing and patterns of introductions into distinct geographic regions; our phylogenetic evidence suggests rapid expansion of the outbreak in Brazil and multiple introductions of outbreak strains into Puerto Rico, Honduras, Colombia, other Caribbean islands, and the continental United States. We find that ZIKV circulated undetected in multiple regions for many months before the first locally transmitted cases were confirmed, highlighting the importance of surveillance of viral infections. We identify mutations with possible functional implications for ZIKV biology and pathogenesis, as well as those that might be relevant to the effectiveness of diagnostic tests

The Male Anti-Circumcision Movement: Ideology, Privilege, and Equity in Social Media

Social media has become a primary way in which various social movements may attempt to gain traction within larger frames of cultural discourse (Obar, Zube, and Lampe 2012). However, not all movements that profess human rights and equality goals are truly egalitarian in their orientation. Many men’s movements are ostensibly about gender equality but fall short of their claims because they fail to come to terms with issues of privilege (Kimmel 2013; Messner 1997, 1998). While the male anti-circumcision movement (sometimes referred to as the Intactivist movement) is less radically anti-feminist and has utilized social media to develop and maintain connections with other human rights movements, it has broadly continued to resist feminist critique and has limited its own achievement of human rights goals. We argue that, by using social media as a way to gain a wider audience and following, many tactics of the Intactivist movement have also alienated many potential supporters because of its fractured message and misalignment with actual equality, which has inhibited its overall growth as a social movement. We draw on Messner’s (1997) model of men’s movements to reflect on the limitations of the Intactivist movement. Through a discussion of examples of such tactics and a case study analysis, we suggest recognizing privilege as a way to align the movement’s interests in human rights and gender equality