Abstract
The idea of scapegoating as a social ritual is introduced here, discussing the work of Girard, Douglas, Cohen and other key theorists to develop a theory that emphasizes the role of mythology, catharsis and narrative closure in that mechanism, as well as the wider context of moral panic and ‘sublime’ disarray.
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Girard, René, I See Satan Fall Like Lightening. Forward by Williams, James G., 1999; reprinted. New York, NY: Orbis Books, 2001.
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Spens, C. (2019). Towards a Theory of Scapegoating, Catharsis and Narrative Closure. In: The Portrayal and Punishment of Terrorists in Western Media. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04882-2_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04882-2_2
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Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-04881-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-04882-2
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