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Ethnography
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The genesis of violent careers

Ferdinand Sutterlüty

Institut für Sozialforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Sutterluety{at}em.uni-frankfurt.de

This article discusses the concept of a violent career and demonstrates its explicative value for biographical research and the sociology of crime. Relying on a study grounded in intensive interviews with young repeat offenders, it distinguishes between trajectories of violence and disrespect suffered in the family on the one hand and violent action schemes on the other. After reconstructing the first phase of violent careers - characterized by victimization within the family and presaging a violent reacquisition of power and recognition - the article identifies biographical turning points and explains them using the concept of epiphanic experiences. These turning points bring about an identity-promoting switch in roles from victim to perpetrator. Finally, three essential aspects of violent action schemes are discussed that are characteristic of the second phase of violent careers: interpretive regimes, which can shed light on the long unanswered question of how violent relations in families are transferred to young people's social environments; intrinsic motives for violence, which arise from exhilarating experiences of the use of physical force; and mythologies of violence that enable young people to glorify violent behavior and its effects.

Key Words: violence • child abuse • family interaction • recognition theory • trajectory • action scheme

Ethnography, Vol. 8, No. 3, 267-296 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1466138107081025
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