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OMAN
Index → Middle East → Oman
More: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kazachstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi
Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, Syria, Uzbekistan, Yemen
Also: Arabs, Basseri, Bedouin (Arabia, Libya), Fellahin, Karakalpak, Kazach, Kurds, Nubians, Riffians, Teda, Turks
Marriage at age 13
was common in Oman (Wikan,
1982:p60-1)[1],
following segregation from age two and a virginity test (1984:p639)[2]. Sexual
jokes were told in front of children (p137). Wikan (1982:p85) stated that Omans “[...]
observe no shyness for children, not even for a son in his teens. For this
reason, children presumably grow up with a “natural”, matter-of-fact attitude
to these aspects of life”. Children may play “house and family”, but no
statements are made on erotic elements. More strictness and distance are
observed from school age. Men seem to assume that boys “start being curious
and [explore] sexual matters” at puberty (p176). Early teen homosexuality is
severely punished (p178). Traditionally, “[a]round the age of three, girls
start observing sexual modesty. They cover all parts of the body other than
hands, feet and face. The face comes next, around the age of 13, when black
masks (burqa) are assumed which screen forehead, cheeks, nose and upper lips”
(Wikan, 1977:p307)[3].
Janssen,
D. F., Growing Up Sexually. VolumeI. World Reference Atlas. 0.2 ed. 2004. Berlin:
Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology
Last
revised: Dec 2004
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