Violenza di genere e femminicidio nelle narrazioni giudiziarie in Italia. Il punto di vista dei testimoni privilegiati

This essay describes the first results of a scientific research on the social representations of femicide in the Italian juridical documents. The text gives some hints about the theoretical frameworks, methodological choices, as well as analytical structure and tools. On the basis of the “juridical field” model, the problematic use of the term femicide is analysed through the lens of the normative process, by both examining social meanings and questioning political, as well as economical anchoring. Starting from the analysis of interviews with key informants, the juristic discourse on gender-based violence is critically studied as “hypothesis of social action signification”, by observing the ways in which “the practical content of issues related to power and authority” translates “into those on indictment and responsibility”.