This week we have seen how women in Morocco can use the idea of jinn possession to gain independence and self-sufficiency. Women who have been possessed by jinn can become a shuwafa, thereby using their experience with the jinn world to help other women in similar situations. This can be a very lucrative career for women and can give them control in an otherwise male-dominated society. Many of the women discussed in Rausch’s “Bodies, Boundaries, and Spirit Possession” have husbands who do not approve of their wives’ roles as shuwafat, showing that this society places a lot of importance on masculinity. Males are generally expected to be the one in the marriage who works and supports the family, so they often feel threatened and emasculated by their successful wives. Interestingly, these women continue to fulfill their roles as shuwafat despite their husbands’ disapproval; and in many cases, the husbands end up divorcing the wife.
Lately we have been discussing how women gain more agency through folk religion, but this is the first time we have seen women using the jinn to gain independence. Some of the women are so successful that they own multiple apartments or houses and can live fairly comfortably. I found it interesting that some of the women Rausch discussed had husbands who either supported or simply allowed their wives to be shuwafat. I would like to learn more about these men in particular and how their upbringing or beliefs affected their abilities to accept their wives’ paths.
