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SUMMARY:The Great White Circumcisers of Kenya: a parable for polarised tim
 es - Mark Lamont (Open University)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260310T160000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260310T173000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/2a90ae8c-57d7-40af-a538-49606b3465f7/
DESCRIPTION:This talk uses the ironic figure of the ‘Great White Circumc
 isers\,’ echoing the trope of Great White Hunters\, to rethink debates o
 n male and female circumcision in Kenya. Drawing on long-term ethnographic
  research and multi-sited archival work\, it challenges the assumption tha
 t genital cutting is a timeless\, exclusively African tradition. Instead\,
  circumcision is framed as an emergent\, entangled\, and politically charg
 ed social process shaped through sustained interaction between African act
 ors and European missionaries\, doctors\, and global health experts. Refra
 ming circumcision in terms of cultural proximity rather than alterity\, th
 e talk argues that contemporary polarisation reflects deeper struggles ove
 r moral authority\, provision\, and belonging.\nDr Mark Lamont is Lecturer
  In Sustainable Development at the Open University. Mark's research explor
 es the interplay between culture\, politics\, and health in global develop
 ment. His work engages two main areas: (a) the politics of global health\,
  particularly how biomedical knowledge\, ethics\, and power shape interven
 tions and policies\; and (b) the relationships between cultural heritage a
 nd development\, with a focus on ocean health\, blue economy\, and the tra
 nsformation of maritime communities. He is also engaged in writing a book 
 about male circumcision in Kenya from early missionary efforts to control 
 indigenous sexuality to ongoing medical male circumcision campaigns to pre
 vent HIV. His interest is understanding how race\, identity\, and sexualit
 y link these histories.\nSpeakers:\nMark Lamont (Open University)
LOCATION:13 Bevington Road (Seminar Room\, African Studies Centre)\, 13 Be
 vington Road OX2 6NB
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/2a90ae8c-57d7-40af-a538-49606b3465f7/
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DESCRIPTION:Talk:The Great White Circumcisers of Kenya: a parable for pola
 rised times - Mark Lamont (Open University)
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