Knowing how the mechanism of combating "evil spirits" works will help to understand the nature of bullying in social networks and the success of populist politicians.
The last time in Europe was executed for witchcraft in 1811. But the witch-hunt continues to be one of the favorite pastimes of enlightened humanity. By what principle do people begin to consider their fellow tribesmen to be the fiend of hell? Who could face this charge? An international team of scientists from University College London, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Lanzhou, led by Professor of Anthropology Ruth Mays, began to study this issue. Her research report was published in the journal Live Science.
Friendly "poisoners"
In search of "evil spirits", scientists went to one of the remote regions of China, to the places of compact residence of a small tribe Moso. Representatives of this nationality lead a lifestyle traditional for the rural community of the past. They do not have writing and electricity, but matriarchy and guest marriage are widespread, when partners live separately, and the children remain in the mother's house. Five villages, in which about 800 families lived, became the object of study. Finding the "witches" was pretty easy. Well-meaning locals sometimes warned foreign explorers themselves to avoid sitting down at the table and taking food in the houses where the Zhu live. This is how the tribe called the poisoning witches, who, according to their fellow villagers, possess evil magical powers. When scientists registered all the Zhu, it turned out that their number is quite large,they owned approximately 13 percent of households.
“To understand how the Zhu witches are different from other people, we decided to investigate how social connections in these villages are arranged,” Mace explained. “We collected data on who helps whom during the harvest, with whom villagers exchange gifts, what kind of family ties they have with each other, and how they choose a sexual partner.
There is a widespread hypothesis that the stigma "witch" is awarded to those who do not fit into the norms of behavior, turn their backs on society and behave hostilely. However, Ruth Mays and her colleagues refuted this theory. Scientists invited residents to play an economic game, according to which participants could donate a small amount of money (10 yuan - half of the daily wages) to some anonymous fellow villagers.
“As a result of the game, it turned out that the" witches "show friendliness and altruism to the same extent as the rest of the community members, - says the lead author of the study. - They also willingly shared resources with those in need, which means that people are accused of witchcraft not at all because their human qualities are somehow different from the generally accepted ones.
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Competition is the mother of witchcraft
Then on what basis is the black mark issued? When scientists graphically drew a diagram of social ties (kinship, helping each other with household chores, exchanging gifts and sexual relations), it turned out that "chu witches" are practically excluded from village life. This forced the outcasts to unite and create their own social network, within which they get married, have children and help each other. This allows you to reduce the costs of insulation. In fact, the families of "witches" and "honest citizens" are very similar. The only difference is that the households of those who live with "evil spirits" are on average richer. This led scientists to an interesting idea. Professor Mace believes that the accusations of witchcraft are the result of competition between households. Having caught someone in connection with evil spirits "witch hunter" gets a competitive advantage,because the family of the "sorceress" is deprived of access to community resources. In addition, it severely limits the “demons” choice of bride or groom. The vacated living space is immediately occupied by fighters against "evil spirits" - for them this holy war is fraught with continuous benefits. Thus, it is a primitive mechanism for restoring social equality.
At the same time, Boris Gershman, professor at the Department of Economics at the American University in Washington, believes that the fight against "evil wizards" is a form of social control that forces people "not to stand out from the crowd and be like everyone else."
“It may once have been important for group survival to conform to common norms,” says Gershman. - But today this tool is ineffective due to the huge losses that social and economic passivity caused by fears promises to society.
Why do we need "evil spirits" today
It seems that the days when they were burned at the stake on charges of witchcraft are gone into the distant past. But understanding how the mechanism of accusations of black magic worked helps to understand the nature of such a modern phenomenon as bullying of users on social networks. Studies show that organizers of online bullying are guided by the same considerations. First of all, this is the extraction of reputation benefits, the desire to gain influence and prestige in the eyes of the members of your group.
And David Frankfurter, professor of religious studies at the University of Boston, believes that populist politicians are very fond of playing the game of "casting out the devil". Because the manipulation of the fears of the population allows them to strengthen their charisma and authority. As an example, the professor cites President Donald Trump, who actively exploits American fears of an invasion of migrants and Islamists. Militant rhetoric has a soothing effect on frightened people, and Trump's credibility grows as he is perceived to be uniquely capable of discriminating between "witches" and countering their threats. Scientists believe that it is useful for us to take a closer look at the fighters against "evil spirits" - what if they have something completely different on their minds?
YAROSLAV KOROBATOV