Understanding Acharya’s Concept on Norms Localization: A Lesson Learned from Localization of Transnational Norms on Banning Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Gorontalo, Indonesia

Abstract

This paper is a critical review of Amitav Acharya's concept related to the process of global norm adaptation. Acharya wrote that norm internalization leads to three possible outcomes, i.e., the norms being accepted (norm displacement), adapted and modified (localization), or rejected (resistance rejection). This paper will analyze the localization of transnational norms to the domestic sphere, both the process, and its result. To understand Acharya's concept, the authors use a case study of global norm localization on anti Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Gorontalo, Indonesia. In Gorontalo, the global norm of FGM was initially accepted by the people and was implemented  as government policies. However, later on there was rejection by the people which pressured for the modification of the regulation. According to Acharya, this was made possible by the role of key actor of norm adaptation, which are the local agents.This paper tries to answer the question "How is the process of localization of transnational norms in the case study of female genital mutilation in Gorontalo, Indonesia?" which then contributes to the identification of the different factors that facilitate local agents to successfully modify the transnational norms imposed to the local settings.