Performing Absolution Narratives in Restorative Justice

TY - JOUR

T1 - Performing Absolution Narratives in Restorative Justice

AU - Asmussen, Ida Helene

PY - 2015/9/11

Y1 - 2015/9/11

N2 - Based on Goffman's notion of people performing contextually preferred identities, a qualitative study of victim–offender mediation shows that the roles adopted in mediation sessions reflect a moral assessment of the situation. This assessment is structured by a confessional ethos, including demanding remorse from the perpetrator and mercy from the victim. The powerful idea of confession and forgiveness as liberating and emancipative is seen as part of a Foucauldian, neoliberal effort working toward the same end as regular criminal proceedings: creating law-abiding citizens. However, creating law-abiding citizens is not encouraged through judiciary processes, sentencing and imprisonment, but by stimulating an inner, panoptic judge of conscience, motivating the perpetrator to remain within the law.

AB - Based on Goffman's notion of people performing contextually preferred identities, a qualitative study of victim–offender mediation shows that the roles adopted in mediation sessions reflect a moral assessment of the situation. This assessment is structured by a confessional ethos, including demanding remorse from the perpetrator and mercy from the victim. The powerful idea of confession and forgiveness as liberating and emancipative is seen as part of a Foucauldian, neoliberal effort working toward the same end as regular criminal proceedings: creating law-abiding citizens. However, creating law-abiding citizens is not encouraged through judiciary processes, sentencing and imprisonment, but by stimulating an inner, panoptic judge of conscience, motivating the perpetrator to remain within the law.

KW - Faculty of Law

KW - Restorative justice

KW - Mediation

KW - Religious aspects

KW - Goffman

KW - Foucault

KW - Interactionism

KW - Neoliberalism

KW - Pastoral power

U2 - 10.1080/20504721.2015.1049870

DO - 10.1080/20504721.2015.1049870

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2050-4721

VL - 3

SP - 28

EP - 48

JO - Restorative Justice

JF - Restorative Justice

IS - 1 Routledge

ER -