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Shame, Rage and Racist Violence

Ray, Larry J., Smith, David, Wastell, Liz (2004) Shame, Rage and Racist Violence. British Journal of Criminology, 44 (3). pp. 350-368. ISSN 0007-0955. (doi:10.1093/bjc/azh022) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:6273)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azh022

Abstract

In this article, we argue that much racist violence can be understood in terms of unacknowledged shame and its transformation into fury. We use studies by Scheff and Retzinger as a framework for understanding transcripts of interviews with racist offenders from Greater Manchester, UK. We argue that much of the interview data support the claim that unacknowledged shame can be transformed into rage against those who are seen as the sources of shame. We argue that offenders' shame is rooted in multiple disadvantages and that rage is directed against south Asians who are perceived as more successful, but illegitimately so, within a cultural context in which violence and racism are taken for granted. The article is intended to contribute both to greater understanding of the complex motivation of racist violence and to current moves to redress the cognitive bias of much contemporary social science and reassess the role of emotion in human behaviour.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1093/bjc/azh022
Subjects: H Social Sciences
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: Laurence Ray
Date Deposited: 06 Oct 2008 01:24 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:44 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/6273 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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