Introduction
The lip-plate culture is practiced among the Mursi tribe of Ethiopia. The Mursi tribe lives in the lower Omo valley close to the border with Sudan. The Lip-plate culture expresses high levels of maturity among women (Mursi Online, par 2). In particular, the Lip-plate is a sign that a woman can give birth. Furthermore, the Lip-plate ensures that a woman is not mistaken as a member of another neighboring tribe. A western view would lead to an assumption that the Lip-plate is a form of body mutilation that affects women. However, the Lip-plate is a body art that is necessary among women of the Mursi culture.
Geographical information
Mursi tribe lives in the Omo Valley, Ethiopia close to the Sudanese border. The Mursi tribe is largely nomadic with about 10,000 people. The Mursi tribe also lives in the isolated areas of Ethiopia, surrounded by three rivers on both sides. The geographical isolation as a factor that affects the Mursi tribe led to nearly zero percent of literacy. A decade ago, the Mursi tribe had no member who could read or write (LaTosky 4).
Participant observation
Young women insert large plates on their lips, six months before they get married. Young girls as early as 16 are required to perform the Lip-plate so that they become ready for marriage. The Lip-plate culture is part of marriage initiation whereby a small incision is made on the lower lip. The incision is about 1 and 2 centimeters. Mothers of young girls ensure that the incision is performed on the lower lips of small girls. When the mother is not around, another kinswoman ensures that the incision is performed based on cultural specifications (Mursi Online, par 1).
After the incision has been placed on the lower lip, a wooden peg is inserted into the incision. The wooden peg remains in the incision until it is healed. The healing process takes about three weeks or up to the healing time of the incision. The wooden peg is removed and then a larger disc is inserted which leads to a stretched lip. The stretching of the lip is expected to create an opening in the mouth of about 4 centimeters in diameter. When the lip is large enough to accommodate a plate, the young girl must have a clay plate inserted into the mouth. When the plate cannot fit effectively, about four lower teeth have to be removed to create extra space for the plate.
Every woman ensures that they craft their own plates with pride. Women ensure that they decorate their plates so that they look more beautiful. A woman who does not decorate the plate effectively is likely to be viewed as lazy and not concerned with beauty. Women are proud to wear the plates on their lips. No woman wants to be associated with lack of Lip-plate. The need to please men as well as respect the tradition of the society is so immense such that any woman who cannot engage in Lip-plate cannot find a marriage partner.
Women cannot talk effectively when wearing Lip-plate. As a result, they are only expected to put on the Lip-plate when in the company of men. Other factors such as eating and sleeping also necessitate the removal of the Lip-plate. When women are in the company of children and other peers, they can remove the Lip-plate.
Ethnocentric point of view
The Lip-plate culture is very important to the Mursi culture. In particular, a woman with a Lip-plate has a higher status and pride within the society. Female maturity can only be demonstrated through the Lip-plate culture so that a woman demonstrates that they have reached a child-bearing stage. Furthermore, Lip-plate culture ensures that Mursi women are not confused with other tribes in the Omo Valley, Ethiopia (Mursi Online, par 4).
LaTosky (6) asserts that the disc or plate inserted in the mouth attracts high bride price for the father of the girl. A girl cannot be married without the Lip-plate. The father of the girl receives several cows as dowry when a girl with Lip-plate is married. Girls with no Lip-plate attract lower number of cows as dowry when compared to girls that have gone through the lip-plate initiation. The larger the Lip-plate, the higher the pride price regarding cows, a small plate attracts about 40 cows while a larger plate attracts over 60 cows. A woman must ensure that they obtain a larger plate so that parents receive high numbers of cows. The Lip-plate culture is also a sign of beauty among women. Beauty as an ethnocentric view involves initiation into the Lip-plate culture.
Relativist point of view
According to Turton (3), a relativist view is based on the assumption that Lip-plate is a form of body organ mutilation. In the Mursi culture, men do not engage in the same level of pain as women. As a result, a relativist view assumes that women are subjected to pain so that they appeal to men. The concept of beauty is not acceptable. A Lip-plate does not make a woman beautiful but ugly. Furthermore, the need to impress men so that they wed girls with large plates is a form of gender discrimination. Men engage in less painful culture such as painting of the body.
The motivation for Lip-plate culture makes the practice to be discriminatory. Undergoing painful body incision so that a girl can receive bride price is not good. While the Mursi view the practice as necessary for the pride of women; an outsider would consider the practice to be painful and leads to serious health conditions. The plate while inserted into the mouth can lead to infections which affect the life of women. Women alone should not be subjected to painful practices so that they please men in the society (Turton 4).
Wearing the Lip-plate in the presence of men makes the culture discriminatory. The society is viewed as patriarchal. The society considers a woman to be a source of entertainment for the male members of the society. A woman is only acceptable to accompany a man when she has the Lip-plate (Turton 5).
Conclusion
The Lip-plate culture exits as an expression of female beauty and maturity. A woman demonstrates that they are ready for marriage and child-bearing when they have the Lip-plate. Furthermore, bride price is calculated based on the size of the plate. Women also feel proud when they put on the Lip-plate. Decorations made on the Lip-plate ensure that each woman meets high standards of beauty as expected by men. Finally, the Lip-plate culture ensures that the Mursi tribe women are not confused with other neighboring tribes who pierce lips but do not insert large plates.
Works Cited
LaTosky, Shauna. “Reflections on the lip-plates of Mursi women as a source of stigma and self-
esteem. Mursi.Org. 2010. Web. http://www.mursi.org/pdf/latosky.pdf
Mursi Online. “Lip-Plates.” University of Oxford. 2016. Web.
http://www.mursi.org/introducing-the-mursi/Body%20Art/lip-plates
Turton, David. “Lip-plates and the people who take photographs: Uneasy encounters between
Mursi and tourists in southern Ethiopia.” Mursi.org. 2004. Web. http://www.mursi.org/pdf/lip-plates.pdf
