Home Institution
Wesleyan University
Publication Date
Spring 2006
Abstract
Menstruation is often perceived by individuals of different cultural and religious backgrounds as dirty or impure, and therefore has become a demeaning feature of womanhood. The dialectical concepts of purity and impurity are integral parts of Islamic religion, thought and practice as they draw lines between those things sacred and those profane. Women’s religious education, in particular, is critical in establishing positive reinforcement for their perceptions of their physical selves and their role in society. However, education in this manner cannot be limited to schools and religious institutions; family and culture are integral parts of a women’s education about subjects relating to her menstruation. Through an investigation of Islamic approaches to menstruation, this paper attempts to asses the relationship between the realms of formal religion as presented through texts and educators on menstruation and societal cultural perceptions of the subject in Morocco. Rituals of purity become a critical indication, manifestation and tool of the discourse that are both followed and redefined by different women.
Disciplines
Anthropology | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion | Social and Cultural Anthropology
Recommended Citation
Ziv, Nitzan, "Interpreting Their Blood: The Contradictions of Approaches to Menstruation Through Religious Education, Ritual and Culture in Rabat, Morocco" (2006). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 331.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/331
Included in
Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons
Program Name
Morocco: Culture and Society