Ulrika Andersson
Professor
Vulnerability, agency and the ambivalence of place in narratives of rape in three high-profile Swedish cases
Author
Summary, in English
For decades, the media have frequently been instrumental in framing rape cases by linking the deed with the place. This study demonstrates that law courts are not innocent of such social framing; on the contrary, they are significant agents. We argue that courts, by shaping the plot in rape cases, participate in an ongoing cultural production of meaning, although in a more subtle and ambivalent way than the media. In a narrative analysis of three contemporary rape cases in Sweden, we bring together feminist research on place with the concepts of vulnerability and agency. We argue that place is framed as ambivalent in relation to vulnerability and agency and dependent on the positioning of the plaintiff and the defendant. In court narratives geographical places are made relevant, including the locations where the alleged rapes took place. Court narratives of rape include highly ambivalent connotations to place in relation to vulnerability and agency, distinguished by different narratives and outcomes in the various instances. The legal and social implications of our work should include an awareness of the relevance of place in relation to rape.
Department/s
- Law and Vulnerabilities
- Human Rights Law
- Department of Law
Publishing year
2018-08-23
Language
English
Pages
197-209
Publication/Series
NORA - Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research
Volume
26
Issue
3
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Topic
- Law
Keywords
- Rape
- Court narrative
- Place
- Vulnerability
- Agency
- Criminal law
- Våldtäkt
- Sårbarhet
- Straffrätt
Status
Published
Project
- Rape in Sweden 1990-2013. Historical and intersectional perspectives on rape in different genres
Research group
- Law and Vulnerabilities
- Human Rights Law
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0803-8740