Complexity and possession: Gender and social structure in the variability of shamanic traits

Behavioral and Brain Sciences • Vol/Iss. 41 • Cambridge University Press • • Published In • Pages: e91 •
By Wood, Conner P., Stockly, Kate J.

Abstract

A previous study conducted by Singh (2017) investigates why and how features of shamanism have culturally evolved, one such feature being shamanistic trance. However, the authors of this article argue that Singh fails to distinguish between different types of shamanistic trance. They find that possession trance, as compared to trance without possession, is primarily dominated by females and found in complex societies.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Probability Sample Files (PSF)Other researchers
Standard Cross Cultural Sample (SCCS)Other researchers
The Sex Differences in Religion Dataset (SDRD)CombinationDataset that provides information on women and gender roles within spiritual and religious traditions across 215 different cultures, encompassing both SCCS and PSF data.

Hypotheses (1)

HypothesisSupported
Complex, hierarchical societies are correlated with the presence of female-dominated possession trance.Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: isanaraja