This article was downloaded by: [UZH Hauptbibliothek / Zentralbibliothek Zürich] On: 03 January 2015, At: 23:27 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
The Journal of Social Psychology Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vsoc20
Aggression in Indian Society: An Analysis of Folk Tales Sudhir Kakar
a
a
Interdisziplinäres Institute für Unternehmensführung , Vienna, Austria Published online: 30 Jun 2010.
To cite this article: Sudhir Kakar (1975) Aggression in Indian Society: An Analysis of Folk Tales, The Journal of Social Psychology, 97:2, 293-294, DOI: 10.1080/00224545.1975.9923351 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1975.9923351
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
Downloaded by [UZH Hauptbibliothek / Zentralbibliothek Zürich] at 23:27 03 January 2015
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
The Journal of Social Psychology, 1975, 97, 293-294.
AGGRESSION IN INDIAN SOCIETY: AN ANALYSIS OF FOLK TALES* Downloaded by [UZH Hauptbibliothek / Zentralbibliothek Zürich] at 23:27 03 January 2015
Interdisziplindires Institute jiir Untemehmemfiihrung, Vienna, Austria
Defining aggression as an attempt by an individual or a group to inflict physical injury on another individual or a group, without a consideration of whether this attempt was successful, the present study analyzed 166 folk tales from seven Indian provinces. The method used was a content analysis with the coding unit being an incident of aggression. Each incident was coded under three main categories: ( a ) type of aggression, ( b ) instrument of aggression, and (c) relationship between the characters. Each category was divided into further subcategories, the whole methodological framework being an extension and modification of studies carried out earlier by Slater’ and Stephens.* Under the assumption, widely accepted in psychological anthropology, that dramatic treatment of interpersonal patterns in folk tales directly mirrors the modal patterns of the culture, this method of content analysis proved useful in discovering regional differences and similarities in aggressive behavior in the Indian setting. Specifically, the findings indicated that the aggression index for each province was highly correlated with the frequency of successful and attempted homicides rather than with other forms of aggression, Aggression in the same sex-dyads was significantly higher than in cross-sex dyads, the only exception being the province of Bengal which showed an opposite tendency. Findings on aggression in the family showed sibling rivalry to be extremely low. Aggressive acts were primarily initiated by the parents and parent surrogates, murderous attacks by parents on children being significantly greater than those by children, pointing to the rarity of aggressive rebellion against parents and parent surrogates in the Indian society. Aggression in the cross-sex dyads in the family normally stopped short of complete annihilation of the victim, whereas no such restriction applied in the case of same-sex dyads. Indexes for father-son conflict were compiled for each province and compared with similar indices of so called “primitive” societies in
*
Received in the Editorial Office, Provincetown, Massachusetts, on September 12, 1974. Copyright, 1975, by The Journal Press. 1 Slater, P. E. The Glory of Hera. Boston: Beacon Press, 1968. 2 Stephens, W. N. The Oedipus Complex. Glencoe: Free Press, 1962.
2 93
Downloaded by [UZH Hauptbibliothek / Zentralbibliothek Zürich] at 23:27 03 January 2015
2 94
JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
the study by Stephens. I n comparison to the frequencies given in that study the father-son conflict in India is of a low intensity. The mother-son conflict, especially high in the province of Bengal, was attributed to an intense and unconscious experience of the mother in her destructive, threatening aspect in that part of the country. The discussion of this finding, as well as of all the other major findings, was in the light of psychoanalytic theory.
Interdisziplinares Institute fur Unternehrnensfiihrung Colloredogasse 12 Vknna 18, Austria
The Journal of Social Psychology Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vsoc20
Aggression in Indian Society: An Analysis of Folk Tales Sudhir Kakar
a
a
Interdisziplinäres Institute für Unternehmensführung , Vienna, Austria Published online: 30 Jun 2010.
To cite this article: Sudhir Kakar (1975) Aggression in Indian Society: An Analysis of Folk Tales, The Journal of Social Psychology, 97:2, 293-294, DOI: 10.1080/00224545.1975.9923351 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1975.9923351
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
Downloaded by [UZH Hauptbibliothek / Zentralbibliothek Zürich] at 23:27 03 January 2015
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
The Journal of Social Psychology, 1975, 97, 293-294.
AGGRESSION IN INDIAN SOCIETY: AN ANALYSIS OF FOLK TALES* Downloaded by [UZH Hauptbibliothek / Zentralbibliothek Zürich] at 23:27 03 January 2015
Interdisziplindires Institute jiir Untemehmemfiihrung, Vienna, Austria
Defining aggression as an attempt by an individual or a group to inflict physical injury on another individual or a group, without a consideration of whether this attempt was successful, the present study analyzed 166 folk tales from seven Indian provinces. The method used was a content analysis with the coding unit being an incident of aggression. Each incident was coded under three main categories: ( a ) type of aggression, ( b ) instrument of aggression, and (c) relationship between the characters. Each category was divided into further subcategories, the whole methodological framework being an extension and modification of studies carried out earlier by Slater’ and Stephens.* Under the assumption, widely accepted in psychological anthropology, that dramatic treatment of interpersonal patterns in folk tales directly mirrors the modal patterns of the culture, this method of content analysis proved useful in discovering regional differences and similarities in aggressive behavior in the Indian setting. Specifically, the findings indicated that the aggression index for each province was highly correlated with the frequency of successful and attempted homicides rather than with other forms of aggression, Aggression in the same sex-dyads was significantly higher than in cross-sex dyads, the only exception being the province of Bengal which showed an opposite tendency. Findings on aggression in the family showed sibling rivalry to be extremely low. Aggressive acts were primarily initiated by the parents and parent surrogates, murderous attacks by parents on children being significantly greater than those by children, pointing to the rarity of aggressive rebellion against parents and parent surrogates in the Indian society. Aggression in the cross-sex dyads in the family normally stopped short of complete annihilation of the victim, whereas no such restriction applied in the case of same-sex dyads. Indexes for father-son conflict were compiled for each province and compared with similar indices of so called “primitive” societies in
*
Received in the Editorial Office, Provincetown, Massachusetts, on September 12, 1974. Copyright, 1975, by The Journal Press. 1 Slater, P. E. The Glory of Hera. Boston: Beacon Press, 1968. 2 Stephens, W. N. The Oedipus Complex. Glencoe: Free Press, 1962.
2 93
Downloaded by [UZH Hauptbibliothek / Zentralbibliothek Zürich] at 23:27 03 January 2015
2 94
JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
the study by Stephens. I n comparison to the frequencies given in that study the father-son conflict in India is of a low intensity. The mother-son conflict, especially high in the province of Bengal, was attributed to an intense and unconscious experience of the mother in her destructive, threatening aspect in that part of the country. The discussion of this finding, as well as of all the other major findings, was in the light of psychoanalytic theory.
Interdisziplinares Institute fur Unternehrnensfiihrung Colloredogasse 12 Vknna 18, Austria
