The Scapegoating of Haitian Vodou Religion
David Brooks’s (2010) Claim That “Voodoo” Is a “Progress-Resistant” Cultural Influence
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 18977610 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Benjamin Hebblethwaite (University of Florida, Gainesville, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 3-22 |
| Publication date | 2015-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Black Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0021-9347 • E-ISSN: 1552-4566 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0021934714555186 |
| OpenAlex | W2065143747 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 8 |
Shortly after the catastrophic earthquake that crushed Port-au-Prince and the surrounding towns on January 12, 2010, The New York Times published an article in which columnist David Brooks claimed that “voodoo” is a “progress-resistant” cultural influence because it spreads the message that “life is capricious and planning futile.” Alongside Brooks, many authors promote similar views, especially Christians. I argue that Vodou does not negatively affect progress in Haiti. Rather, there are historical, linguistic, and governmental policies that limit progress. In reality, Vodou practitioners enhance progress in their attention to the planning and giving of ceremonies, in the hierarchical organization they establish in communities, in their ritual and language, and in the education imparted through inheritance, teaching, and initiation. The scapegoating of Vodou by Brooks and others perpetuates a racist colonial legacy, and it betrays an ignorance of the community and the abundant research about it
Criminology · Ignorance · Political science · Politics · Scapegoating · Sociology · Caribbean and African Literature and Culture · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · History · Law · Migration, Identity, and Health
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.44 |
| Citation span | 2017 - 2025 (9) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |