A study of over 5,000 adults in rural Ethiopia, conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Addis Ababa University, the University of Groningen, and the University of Montpellier, found that attitudes in favour of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGMC) spread mainly through everyday social interactions rather than because the majority believes in or approves of the practice. Using a new approach to social network analysis in nine Arsi Oromo communities, the researchers found that both family and non-family relationships contributed to local support for FGMC, whereas widespread community backing was largely absent. These results call into question the effectiveness of current mass-coordination intervention models, suggesting that a more targeted, context-sensitive approach is required to eradicate FGMC.