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Witchcraft, Envy, and Norm Enforcement in Mauritius.

Aiyana K Willard1, Nachita Rosun2, Kirsten Lesage3

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Belief in witchcraft in Mauritius enforces social norms against causing envy. This supernatural belief, distinct from religion, regulates behavior by attributing misfortune to envy-driven witchcraft.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Cultural Anthropology
  • Religious Studies

Background:

  • Religious beliefs often enforce social norms, but their application to other supernatural beliefs like witchcraft is underexplored.
  • Witchcraft beliefs are prevalent in many cultures and may serve social functions beyond religious frameworks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of witchcraft beliefs in enforcing social norms, specifically concerning envy, in Mauritius.
  • To differentiate the norm-enforcing functions of witchcraft beliefs from religious beliefs.

Main Methods:

  • Two pre-registered studies were conducted in Mauritius with in-person data collection.
  • Study 1 (N=445) examined perceptions of harm, motivations (envy, self-interest), and attributions of witchcraft.
  • Study 2 (N=292) explored attributions of misfortune following norm violations (causing envy vs. selfish acts) to witchcraft versus God.

Main Results:

  • Practicing witchcraft and motivations of envy or self-interest increased perceptions of harm and witchcraft attribution, with envy having a stronger effect.
  • Belief in witchcraft negatively impacted social views and reputation.
  • Misfortune following envy-norm violations was attributed to witchcraft, while misfortune following selfish acts was attributed to God, indicating witchcraft's role in enforcing anti-envy norms.

Conclusions:

  • Witchcraft beliefs in Mauritius function to enforce specific social norms related to preventing envy.
  • These findings suggest that witchcraft beliefs can support distinct social norms compared to those supported by religious beliefs.
  • The study highlights the nuanced role of supernatural beliefs in regulating social behavior within specific cultural contexts.