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Suicide and the morality of kinship in Sri Lanka
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 16:35 authored by Tom WidgerEthnographic research amongst Sinhala Buddhists in community and clinical settings in the Madampe Division, northwest Sri Lanka, suggests that local understandings and practices of suicidal behaviour reflect the kinship structure. In particular, acts of self-harm and self-inflicted death arise in response to the breaking of core kinship rights, duties and obligations, or as a challenge to inflexibility or contradictions within the system. In either case, the morality of kinship is closely associated with the causes of suicidal behaviour, as the ‘inevitability’ or ‘evitability’ of kin relationships is negotiated and lived in practice. This article analyses how local political economies give rise to particular kinship and moral conditions, with special attention paid to those between household (ge) members and brothers-in-law (massina)
History
Publication status
- Published
Journal
Contributions to Indian SociologyISSN
0069-9667Publisher
SAGE PublicationsExternal DOI
Issue
1-2Volume
46Page range
83-116Department affiliated with
- Anthropology Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2013-01-25Usage metrics
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