Tales of Abuse and Torture. The Narrative Framing of the Abu Ghraib Photographs
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| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
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| Description | This paper argues that excessive violence is not only a matter of brute force, but charged with symbolism and meaning. I try to develop a cultural sociological argument to deepen our understanding of the multiple meanings, but also the causes and effects of excessive violence. ‘Normal’ social science does not offer a theoretical framework to render excessive violence comprehensible - nor an appropriate methodological toolkit for empirical analysis. A cultural sociological approach to violence is necessary to decipher the message of excessive violence and to understand the sense-making processes in contemporary societies. Investigating the Abu Ghraib scandal that shocked the American public in 2004, I will discuss the interpretation and the narrative framing of the Abu Ghraib photographs from different social positions and political camps to end on some notes on the cultural sociological explanation of the Abu Ghraib abuses. |
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