Analyzing My Text's Cultural Setting

In the following post, I will further analyze my article by focusing on its cultural setting - when and where - in order to connect the cultural beliefs and values of this setting and how they influence the piece as a whole.

berkemeyer. "Team Corporate Culture" 4/30/15 via pixabay. CC0 Public Domain License. 

When and Where

This article was published in September of 2007 via the online journal known as Elsevier. Elsevier has many locations around the world. The source of this article is listed as being in Ireland. 

The author, however, is from Seattle, Washington in the USA. He is very active in the medical field, and has a lot of experience in this issue. 

The focused time frame for this article is the 21st century. Though use of circumcision has been around for decades, it is recent medical practices that have questioned its safety on multiple levels. 

Questions We Might Ask

What values, ideas, norms, beliefs, even laws of the culture play an important role in the text?

The main cultural belief in question in this article is the idea of circumcision in neonatal males. All other beliefs focus on this: Is it ethical? Do the risks outweigh the advantages, etc.? If circumcision was a medical process actively practiced today, this article would not exist, nor would the beliefs that it is fueled by. 

Does the text address these cultural values, beliefs, etc., directly (by directly mentioning and responding to them) or indirectly (by presenting the scenario or narrative that addresses them)?

The text responds to this cultural norm directly, sometimes sarcastically by accusing the public and even doctors in support of the procedure of being ignorant. The author's disapproval of this "cultural norm" is at the center of his argument. 

What is the relationship of the text to the values, beliefs, etc.? Is it critical of these aspects of the culture? Is it supportive? Does it seek to modify these aspects of the culture in a certain way?

These values and beliefs are directly related to the article. Ultimately, they are the question, and the article is the answer. The author is directly questioning an aspect of society in a critical manner. He points out the flaw in the medicine practice, and society's continuous use of it. Hill's purpose is most certainly to modify the practice of circumcision in society. He blatantly states his disapproval, and his credentials make his argument hard to ignore.