This article examines some of the complexities of the apology–forgiveness nexus within the contex... more This article examines some of the complexities of the apology–forgiveness nexus within the context of intergroup apologies by church and state for historical institutional abuse (HIA). Drawing on primary research conducted in Ireland, North and South, including the voices of a sample of victims/survivors, it argues that effective intergroup apologies for HIA and the extent to which they might elicit forgiveness among victimized communities are impacted by a range of factors including (1) leader apologies and the ‘normative dilution effect’; (2) the lack of emotion and remorse; and (3) in the case of church apologies in particular, the use of religious rhetoric and ritual. The analysis ultimately suggests that while ‘pure’ forgiveness may not be possible in this specific context, effective intergroup apologies for HIA, delivered in a collective, public context, which have the potential to promote forgiveness among victims/survivors, are those which closely approximate the relational ...
This article explores the role of apology in addressing moral and legal responsibility for histor... more This article explores the role of apology in addressing moral and legal responsibility for historical institutional abuse (HIA). Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, it analyses juridical techniques within official apologies, principally by the Catholic Church, to circumvent legal responsibility for HIA: the use of language, the avoidance of tangible redress, and the preference for offering private apologies. Moving beyond the literature, it highlights a more nuanced range of legal and ideological barriers to sincere apologies: the role of canon law, the role of lawyers, and concerns with multiple audiences. The article argues that traversing the complex moral and legal dimensions of apology entails moving from the general expression of remorse and shaming of the self to the specific acceptance of harm to others and responsibility for repair. It concludes by reflecting on the core elements of ‘remedial responsibility’, new classifications o...
... In Arizona, the RESTORE programme uses restorative justice to address date and acquaintance r... more ... In Arizona, the RESTORE programme uses restorative justice to address date and acquaintance rape by first ... A follow-up to the Thames Valley project investigated the outcome of Circles with 16 ... Daly, K.(2006)'Restorative justice and sexual assault: an archival study of court and ...
... attitudes towards and access to victims, which may to an extent be influenced ... for job sea... more ... attitudes towards and access to victims, which may to an extent be influenced ... for job search, vocational and basic skills training, involvement in prison-based industries or ... which may have a bearing on future employability: the general Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP ...
This article examines some of the complexities of the apology–forgiveness nexus within the contex... more This article examines some of the complexities of the apology–forgiveness nexus within the context of intergroup apologies by church and state for historical institutional abuse (HIA). Drawing on primary research conducted in Ireland, North and South, including the voices of a sample of victims/survivors, it argues that effective intergroup apologies for HIA and the extent to which they might elicit forgiveness among victimized communities are impacted by a range of factors including (1) leader apologies and the ‘normative dilution effect’; (2) the lack of emotion and remorse; and (3) in the case of church apologies in particular, the use of religious rhetoric and ritual. The analysis ultimately suggests that while ‘pure’ forgiveness may not be possible in this specific context, effective intergroup apologies for HIA, delivered in a collective, public context, which have the potential to promote forgiveness among victims/survivors, are those which closely approximate the relational ...
This article explores the role of apology in addressing moral and legal responsibility for histor... more This article explores the role of apology in addressing moral and legal responsibility for historical institutional abuse (HIA). Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, it analyses juridical techniques within official apologies, principally by the Catholic Church, to circumvent legal responsibility for HIA: the use of language, the avoidance of tangible redress, and the preference for offering private apologies. Moving beyond the literature, it highlights a more nuanced range of legal and ideological barriers to sincere apologies: the role of canon law, the role of lawyers, and concerns with multiple audiences. The article argues that traversing the complex moral and legal dimensions of apology entails moving from the general expression of remorse and shaming of the self to the specific acceptance of harm to others and responsibility for repair. It concludes by reflecting on the core elements of ‘remedial responsibility’, new classifications o...
... In Arizona, the RESTORE programme uses restorative justice to address date and acquaintance r... more ... In Arizona, the RESTORE programme uses restorative justice to address date and acquaintance rape by first ... A follow-up to the Thames Valley project investigated the outcome of Circles with 16 ... Daly, K.(2006)'Restorative justice and sexual assault: an archival study of court and ...
... attitudes towards and access to victims, which may to an extent be influenced ... for job sea... more ... attitudes towards and access to victims, which may to an extent be influenced ... for job search, vocational and basic skills training, involvement in prison-based industries or ... which may have a bearing on future employability: the general Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP ...
Uploads
Papers by Anne-marie McAlinden