Family Activism in the Aftermath of Fatal Violence

Description

Family Activism in the Aftermath of Fatal Violence explores how family and family activism work at the intersection of personal and public troubles and considers what influence family testimonies of fatal violence can have on matters of crime, justice, and punishment. The problem of fatal violence represents one end of a long continuum of violence that marks society, the effects of which endure in families and friends connected through ties of kinship, identity and social bonds. The aftermath of fatal violence can therefore be an intensely personal encounter which confronts families with disorder and uncertainty. Nevertheless, bereaved families are often found at the forefront of efforts to expose injustice, rouse public consciousness, and drive forward social change that seeks to prevent violence from happening again. This book draws upon ethnographic research with those bereaved by gun violence who became involved in family activism in the context of fatal violence: namely, the attempts by bereaved families to manage their experiences of violent death through public expressions of grief and become proxies for wider debates on social injustice. This is an ever more pressing issue in a landscape which increasingly sees the delegation of responsibility to families and communities that are left to deal with the aftermath of violence. An accessible and compelling read, this book will appeal to students and scholars of criminology, sociology, cultural studies, and all those interested in learning more about the after-effects of fatal violence. Cover Endorsement Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Table of contents Acknowledgements Introduction Aims of the book Brief methodology Structure of the book Acknowledgements Note References Part I Personal troubles Chapter 1 Concept and emergence of family activism The concept of family activism The origins of Mothers Against Violence The early life of Mothers Against Violence Concluding remarks References Chapter 2 Trauma Trauma, representation and collective ruptures Origins Development Critique Fatal violence, ‘embodied suffering’ and personal ruptures Critical junctures and encounters Concluding remarks References Chapter 3 Recovery and repair The reparative effects of family activism Violent death as a ‘catalyst’ Restoring meaning after violent death Acknowledgment and being heard Making meaning, finding purpose, and mobilising pain Keeping connections with lost relatives and reconstituting the family Learning from others Empowerment and moving forward Reaching others Concluding remarks References Part II Public issues Chapter 4 Rebuilding family and community The move from being ‘spoken for’ to ‘speaking out’ ‘Speaking on behalf of others’, representation and ownership Towards a critical appreciation of family activism, politics and testimony Concluding remarks Notes References Chapter 5 Maternal grief and activism Maternal activism, peace, and violence Charismatic matriarchs June Rosie The canonical story of the mother Concluding remarks Acknowledgements References Chapter 6 The public significance of family activism The impact of family activism on public policy and debate Public criminology with families Listening and hearing family testimony Concluding remarks References Conclusion The reparative effects of family activism Listening versus hearing family testimony Family at the intersection of personal and public Final thoughts and future directions References Appendix: Notes on methodology References Index