Abstract
This thesis discusses the practice of female circumcision among Somali immigrant women in a small Midwest community. The literature review gives the historical background of the practice, how it has been criminalized, how organizations are change agents and what impact culture has upon the practice. In the methodology section, the research method is reviewed and highlights the success and difficulties of the qualitative research that was conducted over a span of 2.5 years. The section describes the process from the beginning of me having a presence in the Somali community to how I networked and used a snow ball sampling method to gain additional interviewees. The first woman who interviewed with me helped me gain the confidence and trust of the women who followed suit. Additionally, the analysis explores the reasoning behind, and cultural meaning that is tied to the practice, and how it affects women for the course of their adult life. The analysis gives voice to the women’s personal experience with the practice and in what ways it affects their sense of self. Their stories inform the reader about the impact of their culture and how it is challenged by being in the United States. The conclusion discusses the findings from the interviews, and highlights the ways in which women feel they have been impacted. It then discusses what variables are at play in challenging the future of the practice
