Contesting Torture: Interdisciplinary Perspectives

This edited volume challenges assumptions about torture and explores why it is still widely used and misrepresented,even though it is illegal. It examines how torture is practiced,why it is considered palatable,and who are the victims. The book draws from history,interrogator practices,artistic representations,documentary films,political campaigns,diplomatic discourses,international legal rules,refugee practices,and cultural representations to shed light on the multivalence of torture and its interpretations and applications.

Format: Hardback
Length: 292 pages
Publication date: 27 October 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This edited volume aims to challenge prevailing notions about torture and explore why, despite its illegality, it continues to be widely employed and misrepresented. The resurgence of torture and public justifications for it have raised crucial questions that this interdisciplinary volume seeks to address. How is it possible for torture to be practiced when it is legally prohibited? What actions do agents take to make torture acceptable? Why do so many disregard the evidence that torture is ineffective as an intelligence-gathering technique? Who are the victims of torture?

To answer these questions, the book draws from a diverse range of sources, including history, the practices of interrogators, artistic representations, documentary films, rendition policies, political campaigns, diplomatic discourses, international legal rules, refugee practices, and cultural representations of death and the body. By examining these various elements, the contributors aim to shed light on how torture becomes permissible.

The volume adopts a multi-faceted approach, moving from the personal to the communal and from the practical to the conceptual. It reflects the multifaceted nature of torture itself, enabling readers at all levels to better understand how and why torture can be interpreted and applied in different contexts.

This book will be of immense interest to students of International Relations, Security Studies, Terrorism Studies, Ethics, and International Legal Studies. It provides a comprehensive and insightful examination of a topic that remains highly relevant in today's world.

Weight: 720g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367360351