Meaning and value attributed to non-therapeutic circumcision of boys among Danish parents of Jewish Origin: The formation of parents and families

Non-therapeutic circumcision of boys (NTCB) has been the subject of a heated public debate in Denmark from around 2010 to 2022. In this debate, the parents' perspective has largely been missing. Until now, very little is known about the meaning with and attribution of value to NTCB by Danish-Jewish parents. In the present study, we have examined social and discursive practices of NTCB among Danish-Jewish parents. The analysis is based on 20 semi-structured interviews with parents about their views and experiences with either choosing or opting out of NTCB. The concepts used in the analysis are Sense of Coherence proposed by medical sociologist Aaron Antonovsky, and Davies and Harré positioning theory of Subjectivation, Becoming, Belonging and Positioning. Using these concepts, the analysis indicates that NTCB may be understood as a cultural act and related to the interviewees' process of becoming parents and a family, actualizing questions of gender, ethnic-cultural identity, origin, family biography, and affiliation to Judaism as well as questions of identity and belonging. Parents viewed NTCB as a valuable and meaningful continuation of culture and tradition. The analysis shows how NTCB is currently articulated and how parents make sense of the practice based on their cultural, social and religious identity and within the current context of Denmark where debates about NTCB are raised. This article makes an important contribution to the understanding of the perspective of Danish-Jewish parents. Knowledge on the cultural and religious reasons for NTCB is critical to inform the debate and decision about a ban on non-therapeutic circumcision of boys in Denmark. Taking the views of Danish-Jewish parents into account will allow us to understand the complexity of the practice as well as reveal new and different ways of making sense of non-therapeutic circumcision of boys.