fétiche

Fétiche is a term used to describe both religious and cultural objects believed to possess magical power or special efficacy, and, in modern usage, a sexual fixation on specific objects or non-genital body parts. In anthropology and religious studies, a fétiche (or fetish) refers to an object that is endowed with power or spirit and is revered, worn, or used in rituals. Such objects can include charms, amulets, idols, or crafted items that communities attribute protective, healing, or commanding properties to.

The word entered academic and European discourse in the 18th and 19th centuries, after being adopted from Portuguese feitiço or related Romance-language terms. It became central to ethnographic studies of West African, Oceanic, and other ritual practices, where observers described how communities attribute agency and efficacy to material forms. In this context, fétiches are seen not merely as objects but as mediators of social and spiritual relations between people, gods, and the natural world.

In addition to its ethnographic sense, the term is used in psychology and sexology to denote sexual arousal or interest concentrated on a particular object, material, or body part. Fetishism, in clinical terms, may be diagnosed as fetishistic disorder when it causes distress or impairment and involves persistent arousal patterns beyond cultural or personal variability. Many people experience milder fetishes that do not impair functioning.

Critically, the concept has been revised to emphasize context and agency, challenging earlier essentialist or ethnocentric views. Contemporary discussions distinguish between the symbolic power of objects in culture and the individual psychological object of sexual fascination, avoiding simplistic judgments about non-Western practices.