Leggende di “sequestro” e di “espianto degli organi”. Uno studio tra Italia e Camerun

The survey presents ethnographic data on some conspiracy legends regarding COVID19 recorded in two different grounds: Cameroon and Italy. The authors focus on these legends with particular attention on the content and the intertextuality of the narration. The texts have repetitive patterns and argue...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pierpaolo Di Carlo, Lia Giancristofaro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: CLUEB 2021-07-01
Series:EtnoAntropologia
Subjects:
Online Access:https://rivisteclueb.it/index.php/etnoantropologia/article/view/365
_version_ 1811165601275576320
author Pierpaolo Di Carlo
Lia Giancristofaro
author_facet Pierpaolo Di Carlo
Lia Giancristofaro
author_sort Pierpaolo Di Carlo
collection DOAJ
description The survey presents ethnographic data on some conspiracy legends regarding COVID19 recorded in two different grounds: Cameroon and Italy. The authors focus on these legends with particular attention on the content and the intertextuality of the narration. The texts have repetitive patterns and argue that the pandemic is an invention of the “strong powers” to kidnap healthy people and explant their organs, in order to commercialize or make other sacrilegious, occult use of them. The myth of the “kidnapping” and “mutilation of bodies by occult powers / for occult ends” is also present in periods other than that of COVID-19 and falls within the vein of “urban legends” and “conspiracy theories” that attribute sacrilegious actions to minorities or other groups considered dangerous for their being essentially antisocial. This type of legend is therefore updated and put back into circulation today, in a moment of particular anguish. As the authors are still immersed in the pandemic, the conclusions of this analysis of imaginary production are precarious. Therefore, the main purpose of the article is to reflect on the production of popular thought.
first_indexed 2024-04-10T15:39:15Z
format Article
id doaj.art-cff6edf300284aa583f90b436ccc5390
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2284-0176
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-10T15:39:15Z
publishDate 2021-07-01
publisher CLUEB
record_format Article
series EtnoAntropologia
spelling doaj.art-cff6edf300284aa583f90b436ccc53902023-02-12T19:08:05ZengCLUEBEtnoAntropologia2284-01762021-07-0191Leggende di “sequestro” e di “espianto degli organi”. Uno studio tra Italia e CamerunPierpaolo Di Carlo0Lia Giancristofaro1University of Buffalo, USAUniversità di Chieti-PescaraThe survey presents ethnographic data on some conspiracy legends regarding COVID19 recorded in two different grounds: Cameroon and Italy. The authors focus on these legends with particular attention on the content and the intertextuality of the narration. The texts have repetitive patterns and argue that the pandemic is an invention of the “strong powers” to kidnap healthy people and explant their organs, in order to commercialize or make other sacrilegious, occult use of them. The myth of the “kidnapping” and “mutilation of bodies by occult powers / for occult ends” is also present in periods other than that of COVID-19 and falls within the vein of “urban legends” and “conspiracy theories” that attribute sacrilegious actions to minorities or other groups considered dangerous for their being essentially antisocial. This type of legend is therefore updated and put back into circulation today, in a moment of particular anguish. As the authors are still immersed in the pandemic, the conclusions of this analysis of imaginary production are precarious. Therefore, the main purpose of the article is to reflect on the production of popular thought.https://rivisteclueb.it/index.php/etnoantropologia/article/view/365Covid 19 PandemicEthnographyPopular CultureLegendsConspiracies.
spellingShingle Pierpaolo Di Carlo
Lia Giancristofaro
Leggende di “sequestro” e di “espianto degli organi”. Uno studio tra Italia e Camerun
EtnoAntropologia
Covid 19 Pandemic
Ethnography
Popular Culture
Legends
Conspiracies.
title Leggende di “sequestro” e di “espianto degli organi”. Uno studio tra Italia e Camerun
title_full Leggende di “sequestro” e di “espianto degli organi”. Uno studio tra Italia e Camerun
title_fullStr Leggende di “sequestro” e di “espianto degli organi”. Uno studio tra Italia e Camerun
title_full_unstemmed Leggende di “sequestro” e di “espianto degli organi”. Uno studio tra Italia e Camerun
title_short Leggende di “sequestro” e di “espianto degli organi”. Uno studio tra Italia e Camerun
title_sort leggende di sequestro e di espianto degli organi uno studio tra italia e camerun
topic Covid 19 Pandemic
Ethnography
Popular Culture
Legends
Conspiracies.
url https://rivisteclueb.it/index.php/etnoantropologia/article/view/365
work_keys_str_mv AT pierpaolodicarlo leggendedisequestroediespiantodegliorganiunostudiotraitaliaecamerun
AT liagiancristofaro leggendedisequestroediespiantodegliorganiunostudiotraitaliaecamerun