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Psychopathy, (Un)Criminality and the Body Julianne Disanto

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Psychopathy, (Un)Criminality and the Body Julianne Disanto Imagining the Unimaginable: Psychopathy, (Un)Criminality and the Body Julianne DiSanto A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Graduate Program in Sociology York University Toronto, Ontario December 2016 ©Julianne DiSanto, 2016 ii Abstract Many scholars have noted that representations of crime and criminality cannot be divorced from considerations of power relations, especially in the way that they often reproduce derogatory and stereotypical images of socially marginalized individuals and groups. By extension, scholars have also analyzed how these images affect how socially normalized subjects are represented as pre-emptively innocent, ‘normal’, unimaginably criminal or un-criminal. In such instances, normalized subjects who commit violent crimes are often pathologized in the news. This dissertation departs from these observations and joins this conversation by exploring how the unimaginable criminality of the normalized subject becomes imaginable through psychopathy. Scholars in the area of critical psychopathy research and those who study the intersections between crime, identity/difference and representation have not explored how the logic of psychopathy complements and aligns with cultural imaginings of (un)criminality in the contemporary context. This is my contribution to these areas. Historical researchers of psychopathy have noted that psychopathy was imagined in relation to the body, identity and the normative social order (e.g. Rimke 2003; 2005; Lunbeck 1994). Drawing on their methodologies and insights, I explore this relationship in the contemporary context by analyzing the news representations of five Canadian criminal cases—the cases of Russell Williams; Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka; Lisa Neve; Robert Pickton; and, Charles Kembo. Using a Foucauldian discourse analysis and Alison Young’s (1996) imagination approach to crime and criminality, I demonstrate that psychopathy is amenable to representing the otherwise unimaginable criminality of the normalized subject because of the way that psychopathy is conceptualized through duality: the psychopath appears to be ‘normal’ which hides their underlying pathology/transgressiveness (e.g. Hare 1999; Rhodes 2002; Weisman 2008). I also make the related argument that representations of psychopathy are bound to a series of interlocking bodily contingencies (e.g. identity and difference), relating to both offenders and their victims. These contingencies affect the work that psychopathy does in constructing criminality, as well as the work that it does not need to do as exemplified by its absence. I conclude by detailing the implications of this study and avenues for future research. iii To four very special and beautiful people, my grandparents, Peter DiSanto and the late Maria DiSanto, Iolanda Mauti and Oreste Mauti. Ti amerò per sempre. iv Acknowledgements Looking back, this dissertation began developing when I entered the doctoral program many years ago. Over the years, I have benefited from the feedback of the many professors that engaged with my work while I was a student in their courses. The courses taught by Richard Weisman, Carmela Murdocca, Aryn Martin, and Deborah Davidson were especially significant in this regard. Each of their classes were not only sources of information, critical thinking, and conversation, they were also spaces where I was invited to apply their subjects of expertise to my area of study. Some of the core ideas that I present in this dissertation began as term papers for their classes. What I didn’t realize at the time was that each surface I was scratching away at and each way I was being taught to see and think, would eventually come to contribute to the ideas and arguments in this paper. I thank each of them for their encouragement, enthusiasm for my work, their generosity with their feedback and for sharing their knowledge and research interests with me. I would also like to thank Audrey, the graduate program assistant in sociology. Audrey’s laugh and expansive knowledge are gifts that she readily shares with everyone and I was no exception. For the last six years, I have had the honour of working with James Williams and Kimberley White, who were members of my dissertation committee. It was my good fortune to have had the opportunity to learn from such brilliant, invested, supportive, and patient people. James’ feedback is second to none. His ability to provide balanced, constructive and actionable feedback has been something that I not only regularly benefited from, but is something I strive to develop and model in my own engagements with students. Over the years, I have had many opportunities to witness James’ dedication, not just to my success, but to his students’ success more generally. Kimberley’s creative and imaginative way of thinking is something that I have always admired. Although I am not nearly as skilled as she is in this regard, her reading of my work and the kinds of questions that she asks were always inspiring. I am also indebted to my supervisor, Richard Weisman. Richard’s faith not only in this project, but in me, has always been palpable and unrelenting. Every step of the way, Richard gently encouraged me to imagine the possibilities that existed for me even as I stopped imagining these possibilities for myself. His mentorship, compassion, generosity, encouragement v and support made this dissertation possible. The kindness that he has shown me will be something that I won’t ever forget, and is something that I am eternally grateful for. My friends have also been an endless stream of support. My long-time friends, Melissa, Josie, Stefanie, Stephanie, and Laura kept me grounded and their company always gave me much-needed perspective. I set out on this journey with my colleagues and good friends Shaira, Tim, and Sana. Their friendship has been a space of enduring hope, solace, and sustenance (and Timbits). My family has been my greatest blessing. My brother, Paul, my sister, Amanda, and my aunt, Ilia have shown me what it means to live courageously and how to continue to sparkle even when the lights dim. Thank you for the fishes, cupcakes, clovers and laughs and for reminding me how powerful small acts of kindness can be. My parents, Daniela and Tony, have always had the right words and their bounty of unconditional love has never failed me. My partner, Vince, whose wholehearted and boundless love has enriched my life in ways that have gone beyond what I ever dreamed of. I love each of you. vi Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... iv Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Difference, Criminality and Pathology ....................................................................................... 9 Un-Criminality and the Body that Conceals ............................................................................. 12 Pathologizing an Otherwise Normalized Subject...................................................................... 19 Psychopathy ........................................................................................................................... 23 Central Objectives and Arguments ........................................................................................... 26 Chapter Overview ..................................................................................................................... 28 Significance ............................................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 1: Making Psychopathy and ‘Normal’ Visible .......................................................... 38 Criminality, Moral Insanity and the Origins of Psychopathy: From Demonic Intervention to the Science of Transgression ..................................................................................................... 41 Moral Insanity........................................................................................................................ 44 Moral Insanity, Class and Whiteness .................................................................................... 48 Gender and Sexual Transgression and Psychopathy ............................................................. 53 Contemporary Representations of Psychopathy ....................................................................... 60 A Characterological Portrait of the Psychopath .................................................................... 60 “Who are you?”: The Nature of the Psychopath ................................................................... 64 Identifying Invisibility: Psychopathy Checklist-Revised ...................................................... 68 Psychopathy and the Social Sciences ........................................................................................ 69 The Discourse of Psychopathy and Punishment.................................................................... 71 Imagining Invisibility and
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