The trials of Mrs. K.: seeking justice in a world with witches
In March 2009, in a small town in Malawi, a nurse at the local hospital was accused of teaching witchcraft to children. Amid swirling rumors, "Mrs. K." tried to defend her reputation, but the community nevertheless grew increasingly hostile. The legal, social, and psychological trials that...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Subito Delivery Service: | Order now. |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Chicago London
The University of Chicago Press
[2018]
|
| In: | Year: 2018 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Malawi
/ Witch
/ Belief in witches
/ Witch trial
|
| Further subjects: | B
Social environment
B Trials (Witchcraft) Malawi B Superstition B Law B Trials (Witchcraft) B Tradition B Malawi B Einflussgröße B Magic B Example B Legal conflict B Witchcraft Social aspects Malawi |
| Summary: | In March 2009, in a small town in Malawi, a nurse at the local hospital was accused of teaching witchcraft to children. Amid swirling rumors, "Mrs. K." tried to defend her reputation, but the community nevertheless grew increasingly hostile. The legal, social, and psychological trials that she endured in the struggle to clear her name left her life in shambles, and she died a few years later. In "The Trials of Mrs. K.", Adam Ashforth studies this and similar stories of witchcraft that continue to circulate in Malawi. At the heart of the book is Ashforth's desire to understand how claims to truth, the pursuit of justice, and demands for security work in contemporary Africa, where stories of witchcraft can be terrifying. Guiding us through the history of legal customs and their interactions with the court of public opinion, Ashforth asks challenging questions about responsibility, occult forces, and the imperfect but vital mechanisms of law. ---Back cover |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | Includes bibliographical references and index |
| ISBN: | 022632222X |