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Every Breath You Take - Stalking Narratives and the Law (Hardcover)
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Every Breath You Take - Stalking Narratives and the Law (Hardcover)
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"Every Breath You Take" traces the evolution of notions of stalking
and stalkers from ancient mythology through medieval folklore and
nineteenth-century literature to contemporary film and social
science. Critically analyzing stories of stalking within a wide
range of historical and cultural discourses, the book suggests that
such stories serve social functions, enforcing traditional gender
roles within the patriarchal social order. It reveals how stories
of stalking have facilitated moral panics that have fueled the
persecution of "stalkers" as social deviants. It argues that a
contemporary "stalking moral panic" led to America's anti-stalking
laws, laws that actually address mythological images and
stereotypes and are therefore inadequate in their treatment of the
actual social phenomenon of stalking. It concludes by suggesting an
alternative legal treatment of stalking, one that relies on an
informed, critical reading of both moral panics and culture.
The study shows how Lilith--Jewish mythology's Queen of Demons--as
Western culture's archetypal female stalker, eventually inspired
the construction of the images of the medieval witch and
nineteenth-century prostitute. Similarly, the vampire--our
culture's archetypal male stalker--can be seen in Frankenstein's
creature, in Mr. Hyde, and in Dracula, as well as in more
contemporary images of male stalkers (such as Robert DeNiro's taxi
driver and "Halloween"'s Michael). Orit Kamir posits that in the
twentieth century, film was the major force in developing images of
male and female stalkers, leading to a moral panic that resulted in
the 1980s anti-stalking laws. Careful reading of these laws reveals
that they address cultural images of archetypal stalkers rather
than the actual social phenomenon of stalking, which involves
ordinary men and women, not mythological monsters.
The book is unusual in its combination of cultural studies with a
sociological perspective and legal analysis. It argues that legal
analysis can be greatly informed by close, critical textual reading
of both relevant stories and social phenomena. It will be of keen
interest to those in critical legal studies as well as scholars in
film, literature, and folklore.
Orit Kamir is Professor of Law, Hebrew University in
Jerusalem.
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