Desert Flower

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culture with elements high uncertainty-avoidance, and her own individualism amongst such a collectivistic society.
Waris’s description of life in Africa is a perfect definition for a masculine culture. She explains, “Women are the backbone of Africa; they do most of the work. Yet women are powerless to make decisions.” She recalls a story of how her loving mother permitted her to be butchered, because of a traditional African ritual to please African men. When she was five years old, her mother made her an appointment to meet with “the gypsy women.” Waris didn’t know exactly what this meant, but it was supposedly an exciting moment in the lives of young African girls, and when they returned, they were considered women. Waris recalls in graphic detail being bound and blind-folded by her mother while the gypsy women sliced between her legs repeatedly, then sewed her up, leaving a whole the size of a match-head. She was then drug off to a shelter under a bush where she spent ...

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for her English was not yet fluent. To her dismay, the translator was a Somalian male who scorned her about going against their custom. He was offended that Waris would deviate from the tradition, regardless of the pain that she experienced because of it. He didn’t question that the procedure was inappropriate, just accepted it as culture. This is why the rules and rituals in that society have remained the same for so many years; they are not questioned, just followed. The people have faith that these practices are right under God, and therefor they continue.
Regardless of her strictly collectivistic upbringing, Waris throughout her life demonstrated her own individualism. ...

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