Editing Intimate part (section)

== Variations ==
Female breasts are considered as parts that would be covered in most contexts but with a degree of tolerance for [[toplessness]] varying in different regions and cultures. For example, Dayna Fischtein, Edward Herold and Serge Desmarais (2005) found that acceptance of toplessness in a sample of [[Canadians]] varied depending on both personal factors (such as the respondent's gender, age, and religion) and contextual factors (i.e., toplessness in streets, parks, or beaches).<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1966/is_3-4_14/ai_n29238305/?tag=content;col1 |title=Canadian attitudes toward female topless behaviour: a national survey |journal=The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality |first1=Dayna S. |last1=Fischtein |first2=Edward S. |last2=Herold |first3=Serge |last3=Desmarais |year=2005 |access-date=2011-08-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119080421/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1966/is_3-4_14/ai_n29238305/?tag=content%3Bcol1 |archive-date=2012-01-19 }}</ref>

In some periods of [[History of Europe|European history]], female shoulders and legs may have been considered intimate parts.{{citation needed|date=June 2011}} More conservative viewpoints in the West in some contexts still find it appropriate that females should cover their shoulders, particularly when entering a [[Church (building)|church]] or other sacred space.

[[Intimate parts in Islam|In Islamic traditions]], the definition of awrah is similar to the definition of intimate parts in [[Western culture]]. The extent of cover for the female body depends upon the situation, but may include the hair, shoulders, and neck in addition to the aforementioned "intimate parts". A majority of scholars agree that the entire body except the face and hands should be covered in public and in front of unrelated men. The exceptions are the scholars from the [[Hanafi school]] of thought, which has the largest number of followers, which agree that the feet are not part of the awrah and therefore may be revealed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/hijab_1.shtml#section_4 |title=Religions - Islam: Hijab |publisher=BBC |date=2009-09-03 |access-date=2011-08-21}}</ref> For males, most scholars regard all parts of the body from the navel to the knees as awrah.