IDEAL AND REAL VICTIMS. POLITICAL DISCOURSE AND MEDIA REPRESENTATION IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETIES

After a long period in which victims of crime, abuse and violence fell into forgetfulness, in more recent times they have largely redeemed themselves from that oblivion thanks to the growing social interest dedicated to their condition: their stories are often at the core of the judicial chronicles, open broadcast news and television specials, constitute a powerful appeal across the political spectrum, thus originating an extraordinarily articulated circularity among political and media attention, the purposes of the justice system, the curiosity of the public opinion. It is certainly an interesting process that, nevertheless, does not always concern all those who have been wronged, abused or are in condition of suffering due to wars, conflicts, catastrophes. On the contrary, there are subjects – categories, social groups - with respect to whom the application of the victim status is delayed or totally disregarded, because they are considered to be “lacking” the attributes perceived as fundamental to allow their recognition, this having important consequences in terms of supportive policies and their implementation. The volume asks exactly about the reasons for such disallowance referring to the underlying power dynamics and social relations, the repercussions for the lives of individuals and communities through the analysis of peculiar “case” studies, starting from the evidence that sees the notion of victim as a social construct. And therefore, focusing on the distinction between ideal victims and non-ideal victims, or real victims.