Morrinhos’ lynching (rumor, stigma and violence)

This study aims to analyze the sociocultural context related to this event: the lynching of a mentally ill woman. Traditional anthropology research methods were utilized, among them ethnographic observation and in-depth interviews with Morrinhos ’ inhabitants. The data analysis allowed us to point out that violence is vividly present there and is directly related to everyday conflicts and social disputes of all possible contexts in the neighborhood - especially those manifested through violence against the mentally ill. The spreading of those rumors is frequent in Morrinhos and has an important role in maintaining a certain balance in social relations. In this context, this lynching can be understood as a fact that, to a major extent, was able to represent a condensation of these elements - rumors, stigmatization and violence - and thus uncovered them in their rawest form.
Source: Saude e Sociedade - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research