Fattening: The social implications on the Azawagh Arabs and the real me

Throughout the ethnography, Feeding Desire scripted by Rebecca Popenoe, we tell one consistent theme that is brought up succession and time again wo manpower and the fatten of them to obtain a desired look. From the stance of a Western third party, the thought process of fattening to appear fair/appealing seems ridiculous. It simply makes little sense because fattening, is incredibly unhealthy, something that is recognized in Western culture and at the same time we prefer women to be as fit as possible. Looking through the ethnography we see that there ar many reasons for fattening being a diagnose factor in making women an object of desire (Page.. citation) as tell by Popenoe. We can examine these cases through the work of Popenoe and determine as to how she came to this conclusion. At the start of the ethnography we can see from Popenoes sign experience while working with the Peace Corps in Niger, that the idea of fattening and how the women she saw originally seemed as unattractive lumbering (Popenoe 2004 20). It was moreover while working with the Peace Corps that Popenoe noticed that this rounded stamp that was the norm among the women and was far more appreciated and desired. After having decided to give out with the Azawagh Arabs, Popenoe expresses the obvious indication of her being the outcast when it came to female sexual disceptation shown through the statement, With collar bones protruding and not a stretchmark to be found on my upper arms, I believe many women considered me a poor specimen of my sex. (2004 20). Even though it is shown that women and men are normally separate, Popenoes lack of physical beauty as per the Azawagh Arab women, allowed her to communicate with the men with no fear from the women that... ...dent that his job in gathering better subsistence is firing very well, likely meaning he is wealthy. It is not something which is meant to show off, unless just happens in cases of abundance (2004 112). Most im portantly is the control a woman can have over their husband, by waiting money box the night to discuss what is on their mind as that is the point in the time where a man cant refuse them, their appetite and sexual desire forces them to listen pretty much. Popenoe does an excellent job in her ethnography giving us the perspective of the Azawagh Arab society. We see how the culture is in such a society where women are fattened for many reasons that are important such as sexual desire, marriage, and the passage towards womanhood. Such fattening has run societies in the area including the Azawagh Arabs since they were discovered and continue to do so today.