The identity economics of female genital mutilation

Christopher Coyne and Rachel L. Coyne ()
Additional contact information
Rachel L. Coyne: George Mason University, USA

Journal of Developing Areas, 2014, vol. 48, issue 2, 137-152

Abstract: Female genital mutilation (FGM) involves the partial or complete excision of external female genitalia and other damage to the female genital organs. This paper develops the identity economics of FGM as a complement to the agency-cost explanation provided by previous rational choice theorists. We analyze how identity influences the costs and benefits associated with participation in FGM, offering insight into the persistence of the practice, as well as what changing the practice entails. Our analysis also explains some of the counterintuitive phenomena associated with FGM, such as older circumcised females being the main gatekeepers who perpetuate the practice.

Keywords: Capabilities Approach; Female Genital Mutilation; and Identity Economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B52 D70 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

Downloads: (external link)
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_developing_areas/v048/48.2.coyne.html

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jda:journl:vol.48:year:2014:issue2:pp137-152

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Developing Areas from Tennessee State University, College of Business Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Abu N.M. Wahid ().