Witchcraft, Witches, and Violence in Ghana

1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-1-78238-560-8
Verlag: Berghahn Books

Buch, Englisch, 338 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 641 g

Witchcraft violence is a feature of many contemporary African societies. In Ghana, belief in witchcraft and the malignant activities of putative witches is prevalent. Purported witches are blamed for all manner of adversities including inexplicable illnesses and untimely deaths. As in other historical periods and other societies, in contemporary Ghana, alleged witches are typically female, elderly, poor, and marginalized. Childhood socialization in homes and schools, exposure to mass media, and other institutional mechanisms ensure that witchcraft beliefs are transmitted across generations and entrenched over time. This book provides a detailed account of Ghanaian witchcraft beliefs and practices and their role in fueling violent attacks on alleged witches by aggrieved individuals and vigilante groups.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Adinkrah, Mensah

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionssoziologie und -psychologie, Spiritualität, Mystik
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Alternative Glaubensformen Hexerei und Zauberei
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religiöse Intoleranz, Verfolgung, Religionskonflikte
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Religionssoziologie
• Sozialwissenschaften Ethnologie | Volkskunde Ethnologie Religionsethnologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Figures

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Witchcraft Violence in Comparative Perspective

Chapter 1. Ghana: The Research Setting

Chapter 2. Witchcraft Beliefs in Ghana

Chapter 3. Socialization into Witchcraft Beliefs

Chapter 4. Witchcraft Themes in Popular Ghanaian Music

Chapter 5. Witchcraft Imagery in Akan Proverbs

Chapter 6. Witchcraft Trials in Ghanaian Courts

Chapter 7. Witch Killings

Chapter 8. Non-Lethal Treatment of Alleged Witches

Chapter 9. Gendered Victimization: Patriarchy, Misogyny, and Gynophobia

Conclusion: Curbing Witchcraft-Related Violence in Ghana

Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Adinkrah, Mensah
Mensah Adinkrah, Ph.D., is Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Central Michigan University. He was a U.S. Fulbright scholar to Ghana and has held positions at University of the South Pacific and Metropolitan State University. Adinkrah is author of Crime, Deviance & Delinquency in Fiji (1995), Violent Encounters: A Study of Homicide Patterns in Fiji (1996), and numerous scholarly articles.