"I'm Not that Chained-Up Little Person": Four Paragons of Victimhood in Transitional Justice Discourse

Adriana Rudling

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Despite a flourishing body of transitional justice literature that makes plain the "growth of the cultural icon of the victim," we know surprisingly little about the differences amongst victims.2 This article introduces four models of victimhood, the ideal(ized), the traumatized, the resilient, and the collective victim, and argues it is these generic descriptions, which homogenize victimized individuals, that impede understanding of the diversity of these victims. The article contends that to confidently bestow the title of "victimcentered" upon its mechanisms, transitional justice must first examine the notions of victim with which it operates.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)421-440
Number of pages20
JournalHuman Rights Quarterly
Volume41
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - May 2019

Keywords

  • transitional justice
  • victims

Cite this