de Vries, Remmelt
(2025)
Belief in Jinn Possession amongst the Dutch-Moroccan Community and its Friction with Psychiatry: The Biomedical World in Conflict with Moroccan Tradition concerning Mental Health.
Bachelor thesis, Bachelor Religiewetenschappen.
Abstract
This thesis is concerned with the mental health of Dutch Moroccan Muslims who believe in Jinn
possession which can limit their accès to psychiatry. How this barrier between Dutch Moroccans
and psychiatry further exists will be explored through a literature review in the academic
discussion, which is then related to historical and anthropological work done on Morocco
concerning mental health and Jinn possession in particular. Issues such as stigma,
marginalization and discrimination continue to reappear as major themes and causations of the
barriers created. These themes will serve to arrive at a conclusion in which an analysis is
incorporated that concerns itself with systemic issues which feed into these stigmas. The
interplay between systemic issues concerning the Dutch Moroccan identity with stagnation in
psychiatry is thus the core of this thesis. This focus is chosen particularly because of its
absence in je majority of the existing academic discussion. Usually the angle present in these
discussions is concerned mainly on building a bridge between psychiatry and knowledge on
Jinn possession and the communities revolving around such conceptions. While this is an
important and logical angle to approach the topic from, I argue that without a material analysis it
lacks a thorough understanding in order to solve the issues addressed. Therefore, the
underlying goal of this thesis is to attempt to redirect the discussion towards it including such an
analysis in order to not merely lessen the effects of stagnation, but to solve it. Such a solution
would entail a multifaceted approach that goes beyond the scope of this paper, therefore further
research and acknowledgment of relevant theories on societal oppression of minorities is
valuable.
| Type: |
Thesis
(Bachelor)
|
| Supervisors (RUG): |
| Supervisor | E-mail | Tutor organization | Tutor email |
|---|
| Kara, S. | | Faculteit GGW, Jodendom, Christendom en Islam in formatieve fase | s.kara@rug.nl | | Visser-Nieraeth, A. | | Faculteit GGW, Vergelijkende Religiewetenschap | A.Visser-Nieraeth@rug.nl |
|
| Degree programme: |
Bachelor Religiewetenschappen |
| Academic year: |
2024-2025 |
| Date of delivery: |
03 Feb 2026 10:49 |
| Last modified: |
03 Feb 2026 10:49 |
| URI: |
https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/871 |
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