Review of: Kerstin Hadjer: Geschlecht, Magie und Geld. Sozial eingebettete und okkulte Ökonomien im Bénin, Westafrika. Münster u.a.: LIT Verlag 2009.

Abstract

The economic and social forms of ensuring survival in rural households of Central Benin, West Africa, are at the center of the analyses of this book. A special focus is put on the expenses for magical ceremonies, which strain the household budget, as well as the question as to what consequences this entails for individuals. Kerstin Hadjer puts particular emphasis on the inclusion of data about the economic activities of women, which, according to her problematic assumption, have been neglected so far. Some of the theoretical conclusions of her study are difficult to follow because they repeatedly contradict her own data and they are based on a selective knowledge of the literature.