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Considering Mass Homicide Through an Intersectional Lens
How society reinforces and justifies white male violence
As a person living in the United States, each morning, I will glide through a series of constants like clockwork. I check my daily tasks, brew a cup of coffee, check the weather, shrug off yet another headline on a mass casualty event, and take my anti-anxiety medication. As the phenomena of multiple homicide becomes integrated into routine, it might feel comforting to dismiss the perpetrators of such heinous acts as a purely inexplicable deviation from human morals who are void of societal responsibility. Scholars and researchers have long debated whether offenders of both spree or serial killings are naturally predisposed to commit certain acts, or if life events and development play a more significant role.
Most people are familiar with the “nature vs nurture” proposition and might even be keen on one theory over the other. However, many overlook the issue of intersectionality in this context. A closer look at the repetitive headlines reveals clear patterns of race and gender — overwhelmingly, the offenders are white men.
Similar demographic trends are notable in the case of serial killings. Yet, earlier research fails to solidly conclude that white men are encouraged to act upon their intemperate and…
