The witch hunt accusations in Salem and other nations were a dark chapter in history where countless lives were lost due to superstition and fear. This phenomenon occurred in several countries, including Scotland, Germany, and the United States. In Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, a mass hysteria gripped the community, leading to the execution of 20 people and the imprisonment of many more. Accusations of witchcraft were made based on flimsy evidence and unsupported claims. The main idea was the belief in the existence of witches and the fear that they were working in concert to harm the community. This belief was fueled by religious fervor and the desire to maintain social order.
According to the Quran, God created jinn as well as angels and humans. Belief in jinn is relatively widespread – in 13 of 23 countries where the question was asked, more than half of Muslims believe in these supernatural beings.
Education may contribute to an environment with higher levels of trust and mutual assistance, insofar as it helps to promote a rational worldview and reduce the attribution of any misfortune in life to the supernatural evil forces of other people in the community, Gershman said. Gershman also found a negative relationship between witchcraft beliefs and other metrics of social capital relied upon for a functioning society, including religious participation and charitable giving.
This belief was fueled by religious fervor and the desire to maintain social order. The witch trials in Salem and other nations are a stark reminder of the dangers of mass hysteria and the implications of unchecked fear..
Do Witchcraft Beliefs Halt Economic Progress?
The negative association is highly significant and robust to the inclusion of a wide range of individual socio-demographic characteristics, measures of regional geography, economic development, conflict, etc.
Believing in witchcraft is a salient feature of daily life in many parts of the world. In worst-case scenarios, such beliefs lead to murder, and they may also cause destruction of property or societal ostracism of the accused witches. The first large-scale economics study to explore beliefs in witchcraft, broadly defined as the use of supernatural techniques to harm others or acquire wealth, links such beliefs to the erosion of social capital.
Where witchcraft beliefs are widespread, American University Economics Professor Boris Gershman found high levels of mistrust exist among people. Gershman also found a negative relationship between witchcraft beliefs and other metrics of social capital relied upon for a functioning society, including religious participation and charitable giving.
It’s long been argued that witchcraft beliefs impede economic progress and disrupt social relations, and Gershman’s statistical analysis supports that theory. From a policy perspective, Gershman’s results emphasize the importance of accounting for local culture when undertaking development projects, especially those that require communal effort and cooperation. Gershman and other social scientists believe that education can help foster improved trust and decrease the prevalence of witchcraft beliefs. “Education may contribute to an environment with higher levels of trust and mutual assistance, insofar as it helps to promote a rational worldview and reduce the attribution of any misfortune in life to the supernatural evil forces of other people in the community,” Gershman said.
Witchcraft beliefs in Africa and beyond A major focus of Gershman’s findings involves regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The study draws on survey data on personal and regional witchcraft beliefs, primarily from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. A respondent is assumed to believe in witchcraft if she claims to believe in either “witchcraft” or “that certain people can cast curses or spells that cause bad things to happen to someone.” Many anthropological case studies document how fears of witchcraft attacks and accusations erode trust and cooperation in African societies. Evidence on the corrosive effects of witchcraft beliefs comes from fieldwork conducted in Tanzania, South Africa, Cameroon, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, and other countries, where witchcraft-related fears manifest themselves in diminished cooperation, breakdown of mutual assistance networks, avoidance of joint projects, mistrust in community members, and general decline in social interactions. Gershman’s analysis of the Pew data documents that a systematic pattern of this sort exists in regions in 19 countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
The relationship between witchcraft beliefs, trust and erosion of social capital extends to many places beyond sub-Saharan Africa. Using additional survey data from 23 nations (including those in Asia, Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East), Gershman compiled a broader country-level dataset on witchcraft beliefs. His analysis also reveals a negative association between witchcraft beliefs and generalized trust in the cross-section of countries, similar to that observed for African regions.
Witchcraft may be alone among supernatural beliefs for having a negative correlation to trust. Beliefs in heaven, hell, reincarnation, angels, miracles, and evil spirits have no relationship to trust, Gershman found.
Why believe in witchcraft? It’s difficult to understand why witchcraft beliefs persist and what purpose they serve. Noted economist and jurist Richard A. Posner theorizes that witchcraft accusations against wealthy community members force them to share their surplus, so witchcraft beliefs promote mutual insurance in societies that lack conventional methods for redistributing resources. Other theories suggest the belief in witchcraft reduces social tensions or de-escalates conflicts; yet that explanation doesn’t square with the fact that witchcraft accusations sometimes lead to cascades of ritual killings. “A belief in witchcraft may be a way to keep order in society, but it’s definitely not the best way,” Gershman said. “It forces one to conform to local norms because any deviation may lead to an accusation.” This type of forced conformity under fear leads to immobility and interferes with wealth accumulation and adoption of innovations. The consequences of such behaviors likely exceed any potential benefits, Gershman added.
Gershman, who studies the social costs and benefits of culture, has also published research on the “evil eye,” a cultural belief that a person’s envious glance leads to property destruction. The evil eye belief is also harmful to economic progress but in a different way, Gershman said.
“Witchcraft beliefs are likely to erode trust and cooperation due to fears of witchcraft attacks and accusations. The evil eye leads to underinvestment and other forms of unproductive behavior due to the fear of destructive envy, where envy is likely to manifest in destruction and vandalism involving those who own wealth,” Gershman said.
“Witchcraft beliefs and the erosion of social capital: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond,” is published in the May issue of Journal of Development Economics and can be found online here.
According to hadith, the Prophet Muhammad confirmed that the evil eye, borne by jealousy or envy, is real and capable of causing harm or misfortune. 24 In 20 of the 39 countries surveyed, half or more Muslims say they believe in the evil eye.
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Reviews for "Lessons from the Salem Witch Trials: Insights from CommonLit Answers"
1. John123 - 2 stars - I found "The Witch Hunt Accusations in Salem and Other Nations" to be a rather shallow analysis of the topic. The answers provided on CommonLit were brief and lacked depth, leaving me unsatisfied with the overall content. Additionally, the questions asked were predictable and didn't challenge my understanding of the witch hunt phenomena. I had hoped for more in-depth information and critical analysis, but unfortunately, this resource fell short.
2. Mary456 - 1 star - I was highly disappointed with the answers provided in "The Witch Hunt Accusations in Salem and Other Nations." The explanations were vague and lacked any real substance. The questions themselves were poorly constructed, and the content failed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Overall, I would not recommend this resource to anyone seeking an in-depth examination of witch hunt accusations throughout history.
3. Jane789 - 2 stars - I was left unimpressed with the quality of the answers in "The Witch Hunt Accusations in Salem and Other Nations" on CommonLit. The explanations were too simplistic and failed to explore the complexities of the topic. The questions lacked depth and critical thinking, making the overall learning experience less engaging. I expected more detailed analysis and a deeper understanding of the historical context. This resource did not meet my expectations.