article
Crime or affliction?: rape in an African community
Culture, medicine and psychiatry • 4 (2) • Published In 1980 • Pages: 151-165
By: LeVine, Sarah (Sarah E.).
Abstract
Amongst the Gusii of southwestern Kenya instances of rape are frequently reported; this was true also in the colonial period and yet it seems that thoses cases which come to the notice of the authorities are few compared with the numbers which actually occur. While certain features of the traditional culture seem to have encouraged violent sexual assault, because in a patrilocal society miscreants are likely to victimize their relatives, that is women who are sexually taboo, the crime is considered a sacrilegious matter to be dealt with in the family, not by secular authorities. Given the sacrilegious nature of the act the Gusii are convinced that such behavior is involuntary and the criminal is not a criminal but an afflicted person, motivated by the malevolence of the ancestral spirits or jealous neighbors and kin. The author uses case material to illustrate various aspects of the Gusii belief system in regard to criminal behavior in general and rape in particular (p. 151).
- HRAF PubDate
- 2000
- Region
- Africa
- Sub Region
- Eastern Africa
- Document Type
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- John Beierle ; 2005
- Field Date
- 1972-1976
- Coverage Date
- 1900-1976
- Coverage Place
- southwestern Kenya
- Notes
- Sarah LeVine
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 164-165)
- LCCN
- 79642232
- LCSH
- Gusii (African people)