Did someone say....witch?

I've just read a really interesting quote from a book called Damnation and Deviance by Mordechai Rotenberg, it goes like this - "....To describe deviant behaviour throughout the ages. It is nevertheless important to note that primitive theories of 'demon-possession,' 'object intrusion,' or 'loss of soul' all implied an etiology of specific intervention caused by an external power. Since this influence could be removed, no label was necessarily attached to the person. On the other hand, assigning the label 'witch' to the deviant shifted the focus from external causes to the person himself, who is then depicted as the source and carrier of the evil seeds. The difference, therefore, between the concept of 'casting out the devil' and that of the 'outcast-devil' is a very significant one." My interpretation of the quote is that by giving deviants a label such as 'witch' or 'demon-possessed', all blame for the way that person behaves is lifted from the society that spawned it. They are simply that way because they are a witch, not because they were influenced by external influences. I find it refreshing that our modern society has now moved away from such primitive behaviour and now excepts some responsibility for the individuals it creates, without a witch hunt.