Forced Disappearance in an Era of Globalization

Biopolitics, Shadow Networks, and Imagined Worlds

Bibliographic Data

ID2280130
AuthorsRalph Rozema (Utrecht University, corresponding author)
Year2011
Volume113
Issue4
Pages582-593
Publication date2011-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Anthropologist (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-7294 • E-ISSN: 1548-1433
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1548-1433.2011.01371.x
PMID22216424
OpenAlexW2107795537
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited45

In this article, I argue that the practice of forced disappearance of persons on the part of paramilitary groups has become linked to specific processes of globalization. Global flows related to biopolitics, global crime networks, and dehumanizing imaginations reproduced by mass media together constitute a driving force behind forced disappearances. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in the Colombian city of Medellín, I analyze how these global flows interact with local armed actors, helping create a climate conducive to forced disappearance. These mechanisms in Colombia show similarities to those in some African and Asian countries. Gaining insight into the mechanisms behind forced disappearance may help prevent it from occurring in the future. Enhancing social inclusion of residents, unraveling the transnational crime networks in which perpetrators are involved, and disseminating rehumanizing images of victims all contribute to curbing the practice of forced disappearance

Biopower · Criminology · Dehumanization · Ethnography · Forced migration · Globalization · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Refugee · Shadow (psychology · Sociology · Anthropology · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Gender Studies · Global Security and Public Health · Law · Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses

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