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Witchcraft, Witches, and Violence in Ghana
Contributor(s): Adinkrah, Mensah (Author)
ISBN: 1782385606     ISBN-13: 9781782385608
Publisher: Berghahn Books
OUR PRICE:   $137.75  
Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats
Published: August 2015
Qty:
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Anthropology - Cultural & Social
- Social Science | Violence In Society
- Social Science | Folklore & Mythology
Dewey: 133.430
LCCN: 2014033518
Physical Information: 1" H x 6.1" W x 9.1" (1.55 lbs) 338 pages
Themes:
- Cultural Region - West Africa
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:

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.


Contributor Bio(s): 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.