Ethnic Syndromes as Disguise for Protest Against Colonialism: Three Ethnographic Examples

Historical connections are suggested between the domination of 1 culture by another and dissociative spiritual and religious responses to that oppression. Connections are drawn between colonial oppression, trauma, and 3 examples of dissociation and spirit possession: the Zar cult of Southern Sudan,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of trauma & dissociation 2013-03, Vol.14 (2), p.138-146
Main Author: Hegeman, Elizabeth
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
African culture
Anthropology, Cultural
Authoritarianism
Ceremonial Behavior
Child
colonial
Colonialism
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Cults
Dancing - psychology
Defense mechanisms
Demonstrations & protests
Depressive Disorder, Major - ethnology
Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology
dissociation
Dissociative Disorders - ethnology
Dissociative Disorders - psychology
Dominance-Subordination
Ethnic Groups - psychology
Female
Gender Identity
Humans
Indonesia
Life Change Events
Male
Occult sciences
oppression
possession
Power (Psychology)
Puerto Rican syndrome
Puerto Rico
Reality Testing
Religion and Psychology
Shamanism
Social Control, Formal
Social Identification
Somatoform Disorders - ethnology
Somatoform Disorders - psychology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - ethnology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
Sudan
Syndrome
trance
Trauma
Witchcraft - psychology
Zar
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Summary:Historical connections are suggested between the domination of 1 culture by another and dissociative spiritual and religious responses to that oppression. Connections are drawn between colonial oppression, trauma, and 3 examples of dissociation and spirit possession: the Zar cult of Southern Sudan, "Puerto Rican syndrome" or ataque, and the Balinese trance dance. Discussed by means of these examples are the role and functions of spirit possession as a means of escape from unbearable reality, where it becomes a form of the expression of needs and desires forbidden by authorities, a way of entering an identity not subject to traditional authorities, and reenactment of traumatic experience. This research was supported by a grant from the Research Foundation of City University of New York, under the Professional Staff Congress Grants Program, City University of New York.
ISSN:1529-9732
1529-9740
DOI:10.1080/15299732.2013.724340