Trials of Mrs. K.
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€92.99
A01=Adam Ashforth
academic
africa
african studies
afroamerican
Author_Adam Ashforth
belief
bias
bullying
Category=JHMC
Category=JP
Category=NHH
community
contemporary
controversial
court
crime
customs
dangerous
doxing
eq_bestseller
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
folklore
harassment
hospital
judge
jury
justice
learning
legal system
magic
magical
malwai
modern
mythology
occult
psychological
public opinion
punishment
real world
rumors
scholarly
sexism
social
society
spooky
true story
witchcraft
witches
Product details
- ISBN 9780226322223
- Weight: 425g
- Dimensions: 14 x 22mm
- Publication Date: 02 Jul 2018
- Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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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. A beautifully written and provocative book, The Trials of Mrs. K. will be an essential text for understanding what justice means in a fragile and dangerous world.
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. A beautifully written and provocative book, The Trials of Mrs. K. will be an essential text for understanding what justice means in a fragile and dangerous world.
