Topic: How does the practice of female genital mutilation effect the child mortality rates in Africa?
Assignment Brief;
A written report which provides an overview of your selected topic
Assignment type: A written report
Masters Level
Size or length of assessment: 1000 words
Unit learning outcomes
- Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge and critical appreciation of the models and methods of social research and inquiry: their epistemological and ontological roots and their applications in investigating social issues and service responses.
- Critically evaluate existing research in relation to specific practice or policy issues and design a research study that is feasible, relevant, methodologically robust, and ethically sound.
You will submit a report which provides an overview of your selected topic. This will include:
Introduction; Example; This report will look at how FGM practise effects child mortality rates in Africa. Add why I chose this topic (it is a hot topic and talked about a lot) Within the content of this report I will look at……. (add some of the points below)
What am I required to do in this assignment?
- Identifying the scale of the issue by making use of existing data. Writer here you need to look at data on female genital mutilation & child mortality in Africa (not all countries, only most popular that perform FGM), look at comparable data (In cooperate a table within the report), look at rates of child mortality – countries in Africa. The prevalence between the two.
- Identifying relevant policy and using this to contextualise your topic- Example; UN policy on female genital mutilation in Africa, look at other policies to on FGM.
- Providing an overview of primary research which already exists on your topic. This should include:
-An outline search strategy (Writer, here you talk about databases, the search terms used, for example discover, google scholar, ethos etc) and then mention how many results were found and how many of the articles/ or journals were relevant. Need to identify a minimum of 10 articles/ and journals.
-Analysis of the participants involved and methods used in the primary research (Writer here, talk about articles and journals that you found and how many make use of qualitative and how many quantitative researches? (for example, the abstract of the article by… uses qualitative research …)
-Identification and discussion of one key theme from the existing research (Writer talk about one key theme that keeps coming up in the research or what you have noticed whilst reading)
– Conclusion – conclude accordingly
What do I need to do to pass?
A pertinent and researchable topic must be identified and contextualized in relation to the relevant data, policy and research.
A range of existing research must be considered demonstrating a satisfactory familiarity with the knowledge base for the chosen field of study, with satisfactory evaluation of the robustness and value of evidence base in relation to the question.
How does this assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?
This unit is all about preparing you to undertake your master’s dissertation. This first assessment gets you started on this journey by requiring you to select a topic and develop your understanding of the relevant data, policy and research context.
- select and refine your topic,
- find contextual data and relevant policy,
- reflect on and integrate this data and policy into your background understanding of your topic
- search academic databases for journal articles reporting research on your topic,
- draw together an overview of the research already undertaken on your topic, and
- begin to think about key themes within this research.
Useful resources/ links- please also find other journals and articles related to topic writer:
Levin, T. and Asaah, A. (2011). Empathy and Rage: Female Genital Mutilation in African Literature. Journal of Anthropological Research, 67(1), pp.135-136.
Menzies Foundation (2010). Closing the gap in Indigenous education, Workshop Report. Darwin.
Rahman, A. and Toubia, N. (2000). Female Genital Mutilation: A Practical Guide to Worldwide Laws & Policies. New York: Zed Books.
Rymer, J. and Momoh, C. (2006). Managing the reality of FGM in the UK. In: C. Momoh, ed., Female Genital Mutilation, 1st ed. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing LTD.
Tolhurst, R., Raven, J. and Theobald, S. (2009). Gender Equity: Perspectives on Maternal and Child Health. In: J. Ehiri, ed., Maternal and Child Health. New York: Springer.
UN Women (2019). Where we are: Eastern and Southern Africa: Somalia. [online] UN Women | Africa. Available at: http://africa.unwomen.org/en/where-we-are/eastern-and-southern-africa/somalia [Accessed 29 May 2019].
Wasunna, A. (2000). Towards Redirecting the Female Circumcision Debate: Legal, Ethical and Cultural Considerations. CROSSROADS: WHERE MEDICINE AND THE HUMANITIES MEET, [online] 5. Available at: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.569.9904&rep=rep1&type=pdf [Accessed 20 May 2019].
Windle, S., Kamanu, C., Anyanwu, E. and Ehiri, J. (2009). Harmful Traditional Practices and Women’s Health: Female Genital Mutilation. In: J. Ehiri, ed., Maternal and Child Health. New York: Springer.
Witness Somalia (2016). Gender Equality. [online] Witnesssomalia.org. Available at: http://witnesssomalia.org/index.php/custom-pages-2/2016-01-09-04-10-13 [Accessed 30 May 2019].
World Health Organisation (1995). Female genital mutilation: report of a WHO technical working group, Geneva. World Health Organisation. [online] Available at:
World Health Organisation (1999). Female genital mutilation: information kit. World Health Organisation. [online] Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/65858/WHO_CHS_WMH_99.11.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y [Accessed 20 May 2019].
World Health Organisation (2001a). Female genital mutilation: integrating the prevention and the management of the health complications into the curricula of nursing and midwifery. World Health Organisation. [online] Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/66857/WHO_FCH_GWH_01.3_eng.pdf?sequence=1 [Accessed 20 May 2019].
