This study is a test of the effectiveness of a classroom role-playing exercise used to increase the understanding of cultural practices with which many Midwestern college students are uncomfortable. I employed a pre-test/post-test comparison group design. Students enrolled in two sections of a general education global issues course (N = 56) were asked about their perceptions about, and explanations for, the existence of female genital cutting in Egypt (the country they were studying). One section discussed the issue during a PowerPoint presentation, and the other section participated in an exercise in which they role-played family members deciding whether a daughter or sister would undergo the procedure. A comparison of post-test responses demonstrated increased understanding in both sections, but students in the experimental group better understood the collective implications of the practice on the entire family.