WHEN VIOLENCE BECOMES ACCEPTABLE: THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE “LEGITIMATE VICTIM” OF LYNCHING AS A PUNISHABLE SOCIAL ENEMY

Abstract

This study investigates how the historical and social construction of the enemy influences the acceptance of lynching as a form of punishment in Brazilian society. It is based on the understanding that collective violence does not stem exclusively from the commission of a crime, but from processes that label certain individuals as a threat to social order. To this end, we conducted qualitative research—of an exploratory and explanatory nature—based on a literature review and a critical-interpretive analysis of works in the fields of sociology, anthropology, history, and criminology. The analysis shows that historical discourses, mechanisms of social control, labeling practices, and processes of stigmatization contribute to the formation of individuals who are socially identified as dangerous, thereby fostering their exclusion and diminishing recognition of their status as rights-holders. The empirical data examined reinforce the finding that lynching incidents predominantly target people in situations of social vulnerability who have previously been associated with criminality and marginalization. It can be concluded that the legitimization of this form of violence stems from an ongoing process of symbolically constructing the social enemy, in which certain individuals come to be perceived as targets for elimination in the name of preserving collective order, revealing that lynching is an expression of historical dynamics of exclusion and dehumanization, rather than a spontaneous reaction to criminal behavior.