Analyse des représentations sociales du phénomène de possession féminine ou « génie tchatcheur » dans les écoles de Zinder au Niger.

This article addresses the issue of female possession in Zinder schools in Niger, a phenomenon that most often results in collective trance scenes (Soumana, 2010). In this regard, the objective is to analyze the social representations of this phenomenon in the secondary schools of Zinder in Niger. On the basis of semi-structured interviews with the parents of the possessed, the student witnesses and the teachers, the analysis made it possible to understand the social representations of the chatter genius (idea of the supernatural of the appearance of the chatter genius in schools, origin of semantics), in Niger. However, some quantitative data collected from possessed women shows that the phenomenon affects young college girls more. The analysis also shows that the perceptions of students and teachers, religious beliefs and practices pertaining to animism and Islam influence the emergence of the nosology of the chatting genius (Aljanni me auran mata in Hausa). Since its appearance in Niger and mainly in Zinder, the chatter genius has first affected the regions acquired by the cult of possession, notably Niamey and Maradi, then that of Zinder. In addition, the analysis made it possible to understand that the existing interactions between heterosexual peers at school, most often resulting in chatting and romance, are at the origin of the concept of chatting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]