The counter‐reparative impacts of South Africa's reparations gap

Victims as reparations ‘experts’ and the role of victims’ organizations

Bibliographic Data

ID11449209
AuthorsA S J Park (0000-0001-8418-3999, Carleton University, corresponding author), Madalena Santos (0000-0002-1101-3515, Institute for Criminology and Criminal Justice Carleton University 1125 Colonel By Drive Ottawa Ontario K1S 5B6 Canada)
Year2022
Volume49
Issue4
Pages635-657
Publication date2022-12-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Law and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0263-323X • E-ISSN: 1467-6478
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jols.12400
OpenAlexW4312153736
LanguageEN
Citations received1

This article offers a victim‐centric analysis of reparations relating to apartheid in South Africa. We identify a multi‐dimensional ‘reparations gap’, which refers to the disconnect between victims and the state in relation to reparations, including the meanings attributed to reparations, and the perception, evaluation, and experience of reparations. The reparations gap has had profoundly ‘counter‐reparative’ impacts on the relationship between victims and the government. Appreciating victims as reparations ‘experts’ with unique knowledge rooted in lived experience, this article explores their narratives of the ongoing need for reparations, specifically relating to a nexus of historically induced structural and systemic injustice. The article calls for the comprehensive and continuous participation of victims and their organizations to close the reparations gap

Criminology · Government (linguistics · Injustice · Nexus (standard · Perception · Political science · Sociology · State (computer science · Engineering · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics · Law · Psychology · South African History and Culture

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