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We are not witches or wizards

Ries Waaddegaard, Ida LU (2016) SANK01 20152
Social Anthropology
Abstract
This Bachelor’s thesis is an anthropological study of the child witch phenomenon in Akwa Ibom
State, Nigeria. Children experience extreme forms of violence and neglect of basic human rights,
when they are suspected of being witches. As a result of poverty, families experience hardship in
everyday life and in trying to understand and explain this, they blame it on the children possessing
witchcraft. In trying to cope with the fact, that children may posses witchcraft, that can harm the
entire family and local community, families visit the new Pentecostal churches in searching for
answers and help to rescue the child from the possessing. Here the children are victims of extreme
violence and neglect and as a consequence, the child... (More)
This Bachelor’s thesis is an anthropological study of the child witch phenomenon in Akwa Ibom
State, Nigeria. Children experience extreme forms of violence and neglect of basic human rights,
when they are suspected of being witches. As a result of poverty, families experience hardship in
everyday life and in trying to understand and explain this, they blame it on the children possessing
witchcraft. In trying to cope with the fact, that children may posses witchcraft, that can harm the
entire family and local community, families visit the new Pentecostal churches in searching for
answers and help to rescue the child from the possessing. Here the children are victims of extreme
violence and neglect and as a consequence, the child suffers both physical and physiological and is
stigmatized for life. The central argument in this thesis is that there exist a culture around witchcraft
in the Nigerian population, in the Pentecostal churches and the Nollywood film industry that
combined with poverty and disruption in the family leads to violence against children. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Ries Waaddegaard, Ida LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Et antropologisk studie af børnehekse i Akwa Ibom staten, Nigeria
course
SANK01 20152
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Nigeria, Child Witchcraft, Structural Violence, Cultural Violence, Social Stigma
language
Danish
id
8820683
date added to LUP
2016-03-01 18:54:02
date last changed
2016-03-01 18:54:02
@misc{8820683,
  abstract     = {{This Bachelor’s thesis is an anthropological study of the child witch phenomenon in Akwa Ibom
State, Nigeria. Children experience extreme forms of violence and neglect of basic human rights,
when they are suspected of being witches. As a result of poverty, families experience hardship in
everyday life and in trying to understand and explain this, they blame it on the children possessing
witchcraft. In trying to cope with the fact, that children may posses witchcraft, that can harm the
entire family and local community, families visit the new Pentecostal churches in searching for
answers and help to rescue the child from the possessing. Here the children are victims of extreme
violence and neglect and as a consequence, the child suffers both physical and physiological and is
stigmatized for life. The central argument in this thesis is that there exist a culture around witchcraft
in the Nigerian population, in the Pentecostal churches and the Nollywood film industry that
combined with poverty and disruption in the family leads to violence against children.}},
  author       = {{Ries Waaddegaard, Ida}},
  language     = {{dan}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{We are not witches or wizards}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}