Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Law
As Seen On Screen: American Ambivalence Shown Through Death Penalty And Vigilante Films, Lisette Donewald
As Seen On Screen: American Ambivalence Shown Through Death Penalty And Vigilante Films, Lisette Donewald
Honors Scholar Theses
The United States is one of the last western nations still practicing capital punishment. A history of and commitment to vigilantism and its ideals offers an explanation of America’s retention of capital punishment. Employing scholarship on law and popular culture and vigilantism, this thesis finds that pro-death penalty frames are prevalent in vigilante films while anti-death penalty frames are prevalent in films that focus specifically upon capital punishment. Since the 1960’s however, there has been a gradual shift towards anti-death penalty frames and away from pro-death penalty frames as well as changes in the themes presented in the two genres …
Batman The Noble Dog: The Costs Of Spiritedness For The Individual And Society, Ian Drake
Batman The Noble Dog: The Costs Of Spiritedness For The Individual And Society, Ian Drake
Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works
Batman’s self-imposed mission to rid Gotham City of its criminal element has always presented the problem of vigilantism. From the perspective of criminology, Batman’s methods raise the problem of whether society can be governed, or govern itself, with extralegal law enforcement. The problem presented by Batman’s behavior is often stated, as the ancient Roman satirist Juvenal famously put it, “quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” (“but who is going to guard the guards themselves?”).1 The threat posed by selfappointed guardians, such as Batman and other super heroes, has been frequently analyzed by scholars and fans alike. Yet, there is an additional, less …