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This project argues that there is a previously unnamed canon of literature called Magical Feminism which exists across many current popular (even lowbrow) genres such as science-fiction, fantasy, so-called realistic literature, and contemporary television and film. I define Magical Feminism as a genre quite similar to Magical Realism, but assert that its main political thrust is to model a feminist agency for its readers. To define this genre, I closely-read the image of the female magic user as one of the most important Magical Feminist metaphors. I argue that the female magic user–commonly called the witch, but also labeled priestess, mistress, shaman, mambo, healer, midwife– is a metaphor for female unruliness and disruption to patriarchy and as such, is usually portrayed as evil and deserving of punishment. I assert that many (although not all) of the popular texts this genre includes are overlooked or ignored by the academy, and thus, that an important focus for contemporary feminism is missed. When the texts are noticed by parts of the academy, they are mostly considered popular culture novelty acts, not serious political genres. As part of my argument, I analyze third wave feminism’s attempt to reconcile traits previously considered less than feminist, such as the domestic. I also deconstruct the popular media’s negative portrayal of contemporary feminism and the resulting reluctance for many young women to identify themselves as feminist. I also argue that this reluctance goes hand in hand with a growing attempt to seek new models for empowering female epistemologies. My assertion is that these texts are the classrooms where many readers learn their feminism. Finally, I list a short bibliography as a way of defining canon of texts that should be considered Magical Feminist.

Despite the rationalism implicit in contemporary thinking, in many parts of the world like South Africa, belief in witchcraft exists and is a core belief, influencing the world-view of many people. In these contexts, witchcraft is believed to be responsible for every social experience including, illnesses, sickness and death. The witch-figure, imbued with jealousy, is believed to derive power to harm others with witchcraft through supernatural capacity and an association with the Devil. Witchcraft, it seems represents a theory of misfortune guiding the interactions between people and provides explanations, steeped in the supernatural, for almost every misfortune. Extending on the commonly held notion of violence against women, this doctoral study reflects witchcraft accusations and its violent consequences as an under-represented facet thereof. This follows the fact that historic and contemporary accounts of witchcraft position women as primary suspects and victims. Accused of witchcraft, many women face torture and ultimately death, even today. In this study it is argued that witchcraft accusations result from within a social context, supporting gendered relations that are powered. To this end, I apply a feminist psychological approach as a theoretical lens, allowing us to see witchcraft accusations as one strategy among those supporting male domination. In the first chapter, I outline the feminist psychological approach as an appropriate lens to view witchcraft-related violence. The understanding of witchcraft accusations gained through the application of feminist psychological theory is then applied in the second chapter, focusing on news reports. A focus on the newspaper representations of witchcraft violence is vital, given the media’s influential role in the lives of many. Attention is then focused on understanding of witchcraft held by community members, usually responsible for the violent attacks on those accused. The final chapter locates the witchcraft experience with women so accused. The purposeful repetition of theoretical points made in each chapter was essential. The repetition enabled me to apply the theoretical lens appropriately for each paper and to elaborate on the fundamental premise the PhD argues towards. The reader’s attention is drawn towards awareness of this purposeful repetition of the theoretical lens. It is imperative as together and separately, the chapters in this PhD, function to accentuate on an expression of gendered violence, steeped in a tradition supporting male domination. / Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil.

This thesis discusses early modern European perceptions of body and soul in association with the increasing stringency of civilized behaviour and state formation in an effort to provide motivation for the increased severity of the witch hunts of that time. Both secondary and primary sources have been used, in particular the contemporary demonologies by such authors as Bodin, and Kramer and Sprenger. The thesis is divided into five chapters, including an Introduction and Conclusion. The body of the thesis focuses on religious, scientific, and secular beliefs (Ch. 2), appearance and characteristics of witches (Ch. 3), and the activities and behaviours/actions of witches, (Ch. 4). This study concentrates on the similarities found across Europe, and, as the majority of witches persecuted were female, my thesis emphasizes women as victims of the witch hunts.

O basidiomiceto Moniliophthora perniciosa é conhecido por causar a doença vassoura-debruxa no cacau (Theobroma cacao), responsável por grandes perdas de produção nessa cultura. A população de M. perniciosa apresenta variabilidade devido à sua capacidade de colonização de outras espécies de plantas, o que permite a identificação de biótipos e conseqüente agrupamento de isolados com base no hospedeiro. A caracterização de biotipos do fungo contribui para melhor conhecimento da estrutura populacional e sua dispersão, o que é importante para utilização em programas de melhoramento. Com esse objetivo foi avaliada a variabilidade genética e fisiológica de isolados do fungo correspondentes a três biotipos considerando a análise de taxas de crescimento pelo desenvolvimento micelial em diferentes meios e ambientes de cultivo in vitro, como a incorporação de cisteína, metionina e lisina e das fontes de nitrogênio tartarato de amônio e nitrato de potássio, iluminação, suscetibilidade a fungicidas, compatibilidade somática (SCG Grupo de Compatibilidade Somática), análise de perfis protéicos por SDS-PAGE e seqüenciamento parcial do 28S rDNA. A história evolutiva do patógeno não está registrada em seqüências de genes ribossomais e proteínas totais. Além disso, crescimento e produção de pigmentos são características compartilhadas pelos biótipos, não sendo fatores primários para adaptação do patógeno, porém com provável papel na colonização do hospedeiro. / The Basidiomycete Moniliophthora perniciosa is known as the pathogen for witches\' broom disease in cocoa (Theobroma cacao), responsible for large yield losts. Population of M. perniciosa presents variability due to its ability to colonize other plant species, which allows biotype identification and strains grouping, based upon the host specie. Fungi biotype characterization contributes to the knowledge of population and its dispersion and epidemiological methods, important for breeding programs. To aim the genetic and physiological variability of three strains, characteristics as growing rates, measured by the mycelia spreading at different culture media and different culture conditions in vitro, cysteine, methionine, lysine, nitrogen sources ammonium tartrate and potassium nitrate incorporation, light, fungicide susceptibility, somatic compatibility (SCG), protein patterns by SDS-PAGE and partial sequencing of rRNA 28S region were done. The evolutional history of it is pathogen is not printed into ribosomal genes sequences and total proteins. Besides that, growing and dye production are characteristics shared by the biotypes and can not be a primary adaptation factor but it can play a role in the host colonization process.

O basidiomiceto Moniliophthora perniciosa é conhecido por causar a doença vassoura-debruxa no cacau (Theobroma cacao), responsável por grandes perdas de produção nessa cultura. A população de M. perniciosa apresenta variabilidade devido à sua capacidade de colonização de outras espécies de plantas, o que permite a identificação de biótipos e conseqüente agrupamento de isolados com base no hospedeiro. A caracterização de biotipos do fungo contribui para melhor conhecimento da estrutura populacional e sua dispersão, o que é importante para utilização em programas de melhoramento. Com esse objetivo foi avaliada a variabilidade genética e fisiológica de isolados do fungo correspondentes a três biotipos considerando a análise de taxas de crescimento pelo desenvolvimento micelial em diferentes meios e ambientes de cultivo in vitro, como a incorporação de cisteína, metionina e lisina e das fontes de nitrogênio tartarato de amônio e nitrato de potássio, iluminação, suscetibilidade a fungicidas, compatibilidade somática (SCG Grupo de Compatibilidade Somática), análise de perfis protéicos por SDS-PAGE e seqüenciamento parcial do 28S rDNA. A história evolutiva do patógeno não está registrada em seqüências de genes ribossomais e proteínas totais. Além disso, crescimento e produção de pigmentos são características compartilhadas pelos biótipos, não sendo fatores primários para adaptação do patógeno, porém com provável papel na colonização do hospedeiro. / The Basidiomycete Moniliophthora perniciosa is known as the pathogen for witches\' broom disease in cocoa (Theobroma cacao), responsible for large yield losts. Population of M. perniciosa presents variability due to its ability to colonize other plant species, which allows biotype identification and strains grouping, based upon the host specie. Fungi biotype characterization contributes to the knowledge of population and its dispersion and epidemiological methods, important for breeding programs. To aim the genetic and physiological variability of three strains, characteristics as growing rates, measured by the mycelia spreading at different culture media and different culture conditions in vitro, cysteine, methionine, lysine, nitrogen sources ammonium tartrate and potassium nitrate incorporation, light, fungicide susceptibility, somatic compatibility (SCG), protein patterns by SDS-PAGE and partial sequencing of rRNA 28S region were done. The evolutional history of it is pathogen is not printed into ribosomal genes sequences and total proteins. Besides that, growing and dye production are characteristics shared by the biotypes and can not be a primary adaptation factor but it can play a role in the host colonization process.

A vassoura-de-bruxa é a doença mais importante da cultura do cacaueiro, nos países onde ela ocorre. Em 1989 foi constatada pela primeira vez a presença do patógeno causador dessa doença na principal região produtora do Brasil. A falta de medidas de controle eficientes resultou, nos últimos anos, em menor produção, mudanças no uso da terra, venda de propriedades, diminuição do nível de emprego e danos ao meio ambiente. Em vista do pouco conhecimento sobre aspectos epidemiológicos da doença nas condições do sudeste da Bahia, elaborou-se o presente trabalho com os seguintes objetivos: estudar o gradiente de infecção da vassoura-de-bruxa em ramos e frutos em cacaueiros enxertados; comparar o efeito de genótipos e três tratamentos (poda fitossanitária semestral, poda fitossanitária mensal e poda fitossanitária aliada a aplicação de fungicida mensais) no controle da doença; estudar o progresso da vassoura-de-bruxa no tempo, quantificado em ramos e frutos doentes. O experimento foi conduzido em Uruçuca, BA, em área contendo 16 genótipos diferentes, adjacente a uma área com cacaueiros abandonados com alta incidência da doença. A área experimental foi dividida em três partes, as quais receberam os seguintes tratamentos: poda fitossanitária semestral, poda fitossanitária mensal e poda fitossanitária aliada a aplicação de fungicida mensal. Pelo menos uma vez por mês foram contados os ramos e frutos com vassoura. Os resultados mostraram a ausência de evidência clara da existência de gradiente de doença. Os níveis de resistência genética à vassoura-de-bruxa de ramos e frutos não foram correlacionados entre si. Houve bom ajuste do progresso da doença ao modelo monomolecular. As menores taxas de crescimento foram obtidas no tratamento com poda e aplicação de fungicida mensal. O tratamento que combinou poda e pulverização com fungicida apresentou diferença significativa na redução do percentual de frutos com vassoura. Os genótipos NO-34, NO-17 e NO-02 foram os que apresentaram menores percentagens de frutos com vassoura, sendo significativamente diferentes dos genótipos NO-24 e NO-13. / Witches' broom is the most important disease of cocoa, in the countries where it occurs. In 1989, it was verified for the first time the presence of the pathogen in the main producing area of Brazil. The lack of efficient control measures resulted, in the last years, in losses in the production, changes in the use of the soil, sale of properties, decrease of the employment level and damages to the environment. In view of the little knowledge on epidemic aspects of the disease in the conditions of the southeast of Bahia, the present work was elaborated with the following objectives: to study the gradient of the witches' broom infection in flushes and pods in grafted cocoa; to compare the effect of genotypes and three treatments (half-yearly phytosanitation, monthly phytosanitation and monthly phytosanitation allied to fungicide application) in the control of the disease; to study the witches' broom temporal progress, quantified in flushes and pods. Trials were carried out in Uruçuca, BA, in area contends 16 different genotypes, adjacent an area with abandoned cocoa with high incidence of the disease. The experimental area was divided in three parts, which received the following treatments: half-yearly phytosanitation, monthly phytosanitation and monthly phytosanitation allied to fungicide application. At least once a month, flushes and pods with broom were counted. Results showed the absence of clear evidence of the existence of disease gradient. The levels of genetic resistance to the witches' broom of flushes and pods were not correlated to each other. There was good adjustment of progress of the disease to the monomolecular model. The smallest growth rates were obtained in the treatment with monthly phytosanitation and fungicide application. The treatment that allied phytosanitation and fungicide application presented significant difference in the reduction of the percentage of witches' broom infected pods. The genotypes NO-34, NO-17 and NO-02 presented smaller percentages of diseased pods, being significantly different from the genotypes NO-24 and NO-13.

Frequentemente, fitoplasmas têm sido associados com doenças em cucurbitáceas, tanto cultivadas, como silvestres e daninhas. Em abobrinha-de-moita cultivada no Vale do Ribeira, Estado de São Paulo, foi observado superbrotamento de hastes, malformação da parte aérea e folhas deformadas e enrugadas, sugerindo uma possível infecção por fitoplasmas. A associação de fitoplasmas com morangueiro parece ser rara no Brasil. No entanto, nos municípios de Domingos Martins e Santa Maria de Jetibá, Estado do Espírito Santo, foram observadas plantas de morango apresentando expressiva filodia de frutos, sintoma suspeito de infecção por fitoplasmas. O presente trabalho teve por objetivos detectar e identificar molecularmente os possíveis fitoplasmas associados às plantas doentes. O DNA total das amostras, extraído com um kit comercial ou pelo protocolo 2X CTAB, foi amplificado por dupla PCR com os primers universais P1/Tint e R16F2n/R16R2. Os produtos amplificados com o primeiro par de primers foram reamplificados usando os pares R16(I)F1/R16(I)R1 e R16(III)F2/R16(III)R1, visando a identificação e os produtos de dupla PCR, amplificados com o segundo par de primers, utilizados na análise por RFLP e no sequenciamento. Para as análises filogenéticas adotaram-se seqüências nucleotídicas de fitoplasmas pertencentes a diversos grupos. Observações feitas ao microscópio eletrônico de transmissão revelaram a presença de corpúsculos pleomórficos típicos de fitoplasmas no floema de morangueiro. Por dupla PCR com os primers universais, foi consistentemente detectada a presença de fitoplasmas nos tecidos das plantas doentes. Com o uso dos primers específicos foi possível a identificação de um fitoplasma afiliado ao grupo 16SrIII em abobrinha-de-moita e de fitoplasmas afiliados aos grupos 16SrI e 16SrIII em morangueiro. A análise por RFLP confirmou os resultados obtidos com os primers específicos e demonstrou a presença de um fitoplasma afiliado ao grupo 16SrXIII nas amostras de morangueiro. O sequenciamento permitiu a obtenção de duas seqüências a partir das amostras de morangueiro. A primeira seqüência nucleotídica, SFP-Br1 (EU719107), apresentou 99% de similaridade com as seqüências dos fitoplasmas afiliados ao grupo 16SrIII e a análise filogenética mostrou um maior relacionamento com o subgrupo 16SrIII-B. A segunda seqüência nucleotídica, SFP-Br-3 (EU719109), apresentou 98% de similaridade com as seqüências dos fitoplasmas afiliados ao grupo 16SrXIII. A análise filogenética mostrou este fitoplasma como um representante do grupo 16SrXIII, porém localizado em um novo ramo, diverso daqueles conhecidos para representantes deste grupo. Os coeficientes de similaridade calculados para SFP-Br3 e para os subgrupos 16SrXIII-A, 16SrXIII-B e 16SrXIII-C variaram de 0,91 a 0,96, o que distinguiu o fitoplasma presente no morangueiro dos outros subgrupos de fitoplasmas afiliados ao grupo 16SrXIII já existentes. Assim, através de análise molecular, foi possível relatar a abobrinha-de-moita como um novo hospedeiro de fitoplasmas do grupo 16SrIII, bem como detectar e identificar distintos fitoplasmas nas plantas de morango, inclusive um novo representante, aqui denominado de 16SrXIII-D. / Phytoplasmas have been associated with some diseases of cucurbit as cultivated as sylvester and weed species. Symptoms of witches broom and leaf malformation were observed in summer squash cultivated in the Vale do Ribeira, São Paulo State, suggesting infection by phytoplasma. The association of phytoplasmas with strawberry diseases seems to be rare in Brazil. Nevertheless, in Domingos Martins and Santa Maria de Jetibá cities, located in Espirito Santo State, strawberries plants with expressive fruit phyllody were observed. This kind of symptom also suggested infection associated to phytoplasma. So, the present work was conducted in order to detect and identify possible phytoplasmas associated to simptomatic plants through molecular analysis. The DNA, extracted with a commercial kit or through 2X CTAB protocol, was amplified by nested PCR with universal primers P1/Tint and R16F2n/R16R2. The amplified products with the first primers pairs were reamplified using the primers R16(I)F1/R16(I)R1 and R16(III)F2/R16(III)R1 for specific identification; and the products of nested PCR, amplified from second primers pair, were submitted to RFLP analysis and to sequencing. For phylogenetic analysis were included sequences of phytoplasmas belonging to many groups. Results showed that pleomorphic bodies were present in the phloem of diseased strawberries plants, by using electronic microscopy. The amplifications by nested PCR with universal primers allowed the detection of phytoplasmas in the tissues of symptomatic strawberry and squash plants. PCR assays with specific primers revealed a phytoplasma of 16SrIII group in summer squash and phytoplasmas of 16SrI and 16SrIII groups in strawberry plants. RFLP analysis confirmed the occurrence of a member of 16SrIII group in summer squash and demonstrated the presence of phytoplasmas affiliated to 16SrI, 16SrIII and 16SrXIII groups in strawberry samples. The sequencing allowed the attainment of two sequences from strawberries samples. The first sequence, designated SFP-Br1 (EU719107) representing a phytoplasma affiliated to 16SrIII group, showed 99% of similarity with other sequences of phytoplasmas affiliated with this group. The phylogenetic analysis showed that this phytoplasma was more related with the subgroup 16SrIII-B. The second sequence, designated SFP-Br3 (EU719109) representing a phytoplasma affiliated to 16SrXIII group, showed 98% of similarity with members of this group. The phylogenetic analysis revealed this phytoplasma belonging to 16SrXIII group, but located on a new different branch from those previously known. The similarity coefficient indicated variations between SFP-Br3 and the three phytoplasmas affiliated to 16SrXIII-A, 16SrXIII-B and 16SrXIII-C sub-groups, varying on 0.91 to 0.96, distinguishing the strawberry phytoplasma from the other sub-groups of phytoplasma affiliated with the 16SrXIII group already existing. This way, through molecular analysis, it was possible to relate summer squash as a new host of 16SrIII group phytoplasma, as well as detecting and identifying distinct phytoplasmas on strawberry plants and characterize a new 16SrXIII-D subgroup.

Despite the rationalism implicit in contemporary thinking, in many parts of the world like South Africa, belief in witchcraft exists and is a core belief, influencing the world-view of many people. In these contexts, witchcraft is believed to be responsible for every social experience including, illnesses, sickness and death. The witch-figure, imbued with jealousy, is believed to derive power to harm others with witchcraft through supernatural capacity and an association with the Devil. Witchcraft, it seems represents a theory of misfortune guiding the interactions between people and provides explanations, steeped in the supernatural, for almost every misfortune. Extending on the commonly held notion of violence against women, this doctoral study reflects witchcraft accusations and its violent consequences as an under-represented facet thereof. This follows the fact that historic and contemporary accounts of witchcraft position women as primary suspects and victims. Accused of witchcraft, many women face torture and ultimately death, even today. In this study it is argued that witchcraft accusations result from within a social context, supporting gendered relations that are powered. To this end, I apply a feminist psychological approach as a theoretical lens, allowing us to see witchcraft accusations as one strategy among those supporting male domination. In the first chapter, I outline the feminist psychological approach as an appropriate lens to view witchcraft-related violence. The understanding of witchcraft accusations gained through the application of feminist psychological theory is then applied in the second chapter, focusing on news reports. A focus on the newspaper representations of witchcraft violence is vital, given the media’s influential role in the lives of many. Attention is then focused on understanding of witchcraft held by community members, usually responsible for the violent attacks on those accused. The final chapter locates the witchcraft experience with women so accused. The purposeful repetition of theoretical points made in each chapter was essential. The repetition enabled me to apply the theoretical lens appropriately for each paper and to elaborate on the fundamental premise the PhD argues towards. The reader’s attention is drawn towards awareness of this purposeful repetition of the theoretical lens. It is imperative as together and separately, the chapters in this PhD, function to accentuate on an expression of gendered violence, steeped in a tradition supporting male domination. / Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)