Book review: Violence, Gender and Affect: Interpersonal, Institutional and Ideological Practices
| Author | Lori K Sudderth |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/02697580231153670 |
| Published date | 01 May 2023 |
| Date | 01 May 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Book reviews |
https://doi.org/10.1177/02697580231153670
International Review of Victimology
2023, Vol. 29(2) 1 –3
© The Author(s) 2023
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DOI: 10.1177/02697580231153670
journals.sagepub.com/home/irv
Marita Husso, Sanna Karkulehto, Tuija Saresma, Aarno Laitila, Jari Eilola,
and Heli Siltala (eds)
Violence, Gender and Affect: Interpersonal, Institutional and Ideological Practices
Palgrave Macmillan: Cham, Switzerland, 2021; xxiii + 292 pp.: ISBN 9783030569303,
3030569306 (ebk)
Reviewed by: Lori K Sudderth, Quinnipiac University, USA
DOI: 10.1177/02697580231153670
In Violence, Gender and Affect: Interpersonal, Institutional and Ideological Practices, the editors
Maria Husso, Sanna Karkulehto, Tuija Saresma, Aarno Laitila, Jari Eilola, and Heli Siltala have put
together a book that explores the intersection between institutional practices and individual emo-
tional states of victims and perpetrators of violence, as well as the frontline workers who interact
with them. The emotional state of these individuals is connected to the institutional practices that
underscore oppression, power, and normative violence, specifically in the context of gender. In the
introductory chapter, the editors describe their objective: ‘to analyse and uncover the structures of
violence and violating practices from the perspective of vulnerability and suffering’ (p. 11). They
accomplish this by incorporating multidisciplinary perspectives from academic authors represent-
ing Europe, Australia, the United States, and Africa. The theme that cycles throughout the text is
addressing violating interpersonal, institutional and ideological practices as gendered and affective
processes in daily life and institutions and in media and culture . . . The aim is to challenge conventional
explanations, raise new questions and offer insights for understanding and resolving social problems
related to violence and its prevention. (p. 11)
After the introduction, the book is divided into three parts: interpersonal violence, institutional
violence, and ideological violence. The section on interpersonal violence consists of four chapters
ranging from honor-related violence (Lidman) and domestic violence and historical accounts of
domestic violence homicides in Finland (Kantanen and Eiola) to men’s violence against men
(Pease) and the mixed feelings of researchers interviewing men who had been violent to their
female partners (Hearn). Lidman (Chapter 2), for example, discusses shame and honor-related
crimes as patriarchal (rather than religious) controls over women’s behavior. Similarly, Kantanen
and Eiola (Chapter 3) used case studies and newspaper accounts of intimate partner homicides to
illustrate the emotional norms of a patriarchal social structure. The last two chapters in this section
focus on men’s violence. Pease (Chapter 4) points out that the literature has traditionally ignored
the gender implications of men’s violence against men, particularly marginalized men; this adds to
the individualization of gender—as opposed to a structural gender analysis. Hearn (Chapter 5)
1153670IRV0010.1177/02697580231153670International Review of VictimologyBook Review
review-article2023
Book Review
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