Political Torture in Popular Culture

The Role of Representations in the Post-9/11 Torture Debate

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science
Cover of the book Political Torture in Popular Culture by Alex Adams, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Alex Adams ISBN: 9781317289388
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: June 17, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Alex Adams
ISBN: 9781317289388
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: June 17, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Political Torture in Popular Culture argues that the literary, filmic, and popular cultural representation of political torture has been one of the defining dimensions of the torture debate that has taken place in the course of the post-9/11 global war on terrorism. The book argues that cultural representations provide a vital arena in which political meaning is generated, negotiated, and contested.

Adams explores whether liberal democracies can ever legitimately perpetrate torture, contrasting assertions that torture can function as a legitimate counterterrorism measure with human rights-based arguments that torture is never morally permissible. He examines the philosophical foundations of pro- and anti-torture positions, looking at their manifestations in a range of literary, filmic and popular cultural texts, and assesses the material effects of these representations. Literary novels, televisual texts, films, and critical theoretical discourse are all covered, focusing on the ways that aesthetic and textual strategies are mobilised to create specific political effects.

This book is the first sustained analysis of the torture debate and the role that cultural narratives and representations play within it. It will be of great use to scholars interested in the emerging canon of post-9/11 cultural texts about torture, as well as scholars and students working in politics, history, geography, human rights, international relations, and terrorism studies, literary studies, cultural studies, and film studies.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Political Torture in Popular Culture argues that the literary, filmic, and popular cultural representation of political torture has been one of the defining dimensions of the torture debate that has taken place in the course of the post-9/11 global war on terrorism. The book argues that cultural representations provide a vital arena in which political meaning is generated, negotiated, and contested.

Adams explores whether liberal democracies can ever legitimately perpetrate torture, contrasting assertions that torture can function as a legitimate counterterrorism measure with human rights-based arguments that torture is never morally permissible. He examines the philosophical foundations of pro- and anti-torture positions, looking at their manifestations in a range of literary, filmic and popular cultural texts, and assesses the material effects of these representations. Literary novels, televisual texts, films, and critical theoretical discourse are all covered, focusing on the ways that aesthetic and textual strategies are mobilised to create specific political effects.

This book is the first sustained analysis of the torture debate and the role that cultural narratives and representations play within it. It will be of great use to scholars interested in the emerging canon of post-9/11 cultural texts about torture, as well as scholars and students working in politics, history, geography, human rights, international relations, and terrorism studies, literary studies, cultural studies, and film studies.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Ursula K. Le Guin Beyond Genre by Alex Adams
Cover of the book God and Humanity in Auschwitz by Alex Adams
Cover of the book Family Law by Alex Adams
Cover of the book The Rise of the Networking Region by Alex Adams
Cover of the book Being Middle Class in China by Alex Adams
Cover of the book Time in Practice by Alex Adams
Cover of the book Baldwin I of Jerusalem, 1100-1118 by Alex Adams
Cover of the book LITTLE WOMEN and THE FEMINIST IMAGINATION by Alex Adams
Cover of the book Applied Climatology by Alex Adams
Cover of the book The Artistry and Tradition of Tennyson's Battle Poetry by Alex Adams
Cover of the book Succession, Wills and Probate by Alex Adams
Cover of the book Culture and the State in Spain by Alex Adams
Cover of the book The Military Memoir and Romantic Literary Culture, 1780–1835 by Alex Adams
Cover of the book Milton's Italy by Alex Adams
Cover of the book The Future of Thinking by Alex Adams
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy