Socio-cultural dynamics of female genital cutting: research findings, gaps, and directions.

The goal of abolishing female genital cutting (FGC, or also FGM or 'female circumcision') requires that the socio-cultural dynamics of the practice be well understood if behavioural change is to be accomplished. This paper, based on the literature and the author's ethnographic research in Sudan, reports on the research issues of studying the variation in and complexity of cutting practices and their cultural correlates, arguing for multiple approaches and methods. It highlights directions for future research.