Women as Easy Scapegoats: Witchcraft Accusations and Women as Targets in Tea Plantations of India

• NCJ Number: 241670
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 18 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2012 Pages: 1213-1234
• Author(s): Soma Chaudhuri
• Date Published: October 2012
• Length: 22 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Vanderbilt University
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research Paper; Interview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article revisits a much-debated question: Why are women popular targets during witch hunts? By using in-depth interviews this article provides an answer.

Abstract

This article revisits a much-debated question: Why are women popular targets during witch hunts? By using in-depth interviews this article provides an answer. Women are easy targets or scapegoats for two reasons. First, it is widely believed in the community that was studied that witches do, in fact, exist, and the images of witches are always female. Second, tribal women hold lower positions than men in all social, political, and ritual matters, and this contributes to their vulnerability during the hunt for scapegoats. This article also highlights the roles that rumors play during manipulation of witchcraft accusations to gather support for witch hunts. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.