Motherhood, moral authority and the charismatic matriarch in the aftermath of lethal violence
Cook, Elizabeth A.
Motherhood, moral authority and the charismatic matriarch in the aftermath of lethal violence Elizabeth A. Cook - Sage, 2021 - Crimininology & Criminal Justice .
Criminology & Criminal Justice, 2021, 21(3), 353–368
Images of maternal suffering are an evocative and powerful means of communication in a world where the private grief of victims has increasingly become subject to commodification and public consumption. This article looks at the influence of bereaved mothers as symbols of respect, peace and dignity in the aftermath of violence, and as a result their persuasive presence in family activism. Drawing upon two case studies, this article explores the importance of victims’ stories in public life and, in particular, the presence of the charismatic matriarch in creating communities of solidarity, raising awareness of harms that have previously gone unheard and prompting policy change. It considers the ‘canonical’ story of the mother in public life and concludes by arguing that more attention should be paid to victims’ stories and their influence on policy-making, politics and eventually in becoming public grievances. (Author's abstract). Record #8270
ADVOCACY
ATTITUDES
CHILD HOMICIDE
COMMUNITY ACTION
ETHNIC COMMUNITIES
FAMILY VIOLENCE
GANGS
GUNS
MOTHERS
MOTHERS AGAINST VIOLENCE
VICTIM/SURVIVORS' VOICES
VICTIMS OF CRIMES
VIOLENCE
INTERNATIONAL
AUSTRALIA
UNITED KINGDOM
Motherhood, moral authority and the charismatic matriarch in the aftermath of lethal violence Elizabeth A. Cook - Sage, 2021 - Crimininology & Criminal Justice .
Criminology & Criminal Justice, 2021, 21(3), 353–368
Images of maternal suffering are an evocative and powerful means of communication in a world where the private grief of victims has increasingly become subject to commodification and public consumption. This article looks at the influence of bereaved mothers as symbols of respect, peace and dignity in the aftermath of violence, and as a result their persuasive presence in family activism. Drawing upon two case studies, this article explores the importance of victims’ stories in public life and, in particular, the presence of the charismatic matriarch in creating communities of solidarity, raising awareness of harms that have previously gone unheard and prompting policy change. It considers the ‘canonical’ story of the mother in public life and concludes by arguing that more attention should be paid to victims’ stories and their influence on policy-making, politics and eventually in becoming public grievances. (Author's abstract). Record #8270
ADVOCACY
ATTITUDES
CHILD HOMICIDE
COMMUNITY ACTION
ETHNIC COMMUNITIES
FAMILY VIOLENCE
GANGS
GUNS
MOTHERS
MOTHERS AGAINST VIOLENCE
VICTIM/SURVIVORS' VOICES
VICTIMS OF CRIMES
VIOLENCE
INTERNATIONAL
AUSTRALIA
UNITED KINGDOM