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Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.
Witchcraft
Watch Strange Beliefs: Sir Edward Evans-Pritchard (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Then, read the assigned selections from Chapter 7: Witchcraft, Sorcery, Divination, and Magic in Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion.
E. E. Evans-Pritchard concluded that the belief in witchcraft serves three cultural functions: to provide an explanation for the unexplainable; to provide a set of cultural behaviors for dealing with misfortune; and to help to define morality. Legare and Gelman (2008) propose that even when people understand biological or natural explanations for phenomena, they may still employ supernatural explanations, such as believing in witchcraft.
How do Evans-Pritchard’s ideas conflict with the coexistence model proposed by Legare and Gelman? Which theory do you find more convincing? Use examples from the readings and from your own experience to support your points.
Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.
