Book review: Violence, Gender and Affect: Interpersonal, Institutional and Ideological Practices

Abstract

In Violence, Gender and Affect: Interpersonal, Institutional and Ideological Practices, the editors Maria Husso, Sanna Karkulehto, Tuija Saresma, Aarno Laitila, Jari Eilola, and Heli Siltala have put together a book that explores the intersection between institutional practices and individual emotional states of victims and perpetrators of violence, as well as the frontline workers who interact with them. The emotional state of these individuals is connected to the institutional practices that underscore oppression, power, and normative violence, specifically in the context of gender. In the introductory chapter, the editors describe their objective: ‘to analyse and uncover the structures of violence and violating practices from the perspective of vulnerability and suffering’ (p. 11). They accomplish this by incorporating multidisciplinary perspectives from academic authors representing Europe, Australia, the United States, and Africa. The theme that cycles throughout the text is