Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-09-13T13:44:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Thiara Ribeiro Santos.pdf: 5083039 bytes, checksum: a455035acf193849f87dc2fe74e782ca (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-13T13:44:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Thiara Ribeiro Santos.pdf: 5083039 bytes, checksum: a455035acf193849f87dc2fe74e782ca (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-28 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Fundação São Paulo - FUNDASP / This research investigates the narratives of television series about serial killers, focusing most attention on the North American show Dexter, broadcast from 2006 to 2013, while at the same time comparing the context of the series to others of the same genre. In order to learn how the fascination of crime is narrativized in this type of program, our aim was to identify the similarities and differences, compare the narratives, and the main conflicts of each series, the protagonism of the serial killer, the relations between the subject-characters and complex issues related to actions and characteristics of each serial killer and the development of the narrative itself – all focused on the protagonist’s compulsion to kill, while taking into consideration their permanent invisibility and the social ties between them and the other characters; thus we look back in time to delve into the discursive processes of old movies with the same theme in order to understand how the world of series was established. We start with the assumption that a transformation has been made to the narrative structure and character of the serial killers in audiovisual productions over recent decades. Under this context, there is a need to understand how audiovisual languages are used within series, how they intensify normal versus abnormal opposition, how the viewers’ complicity is summoned, and how violence and perversion become elements of the social structure and eventually even agents of the actions. In our view, questioning what retains the tension in the narrative of the Serial Killers TV series is one way of assessing our processes of true meaning and civil morality. This theory is based on knowledge of the areas of Audiovisual, Semiotics, Psychoanalysis, Sociology and Philosophy. For the audiovisual area, we benefitted from input from Neale, Arlindo Machado and Sonia Rodrigues who have studied narrative strategies in dramatic series; the studies relating to cinema were enhanced by contributions from Shaviro and Naremore and the studies of series consolidated by Douglas L. Howard; investigations made about cinema and representation by Ismail Xavier also strengthened the analyses of this thesis. The analysis of the generative route toward the meaning of narratives was bolstered by the discursive-semiotic contributions from Eric Landowski and Ana Claudia de Oliveira, and the tensive-semiotics contributions from Claude Zilberberg. With regard to psychoanalysis, particularly to focus on the Lacanian concept of perversion and neurosis, we use texts by Nasio, Žižek, Bond, Philippe Julien and Antonio Quinet, which assist us in explaining the universe of our subject, the serial killer. For the sociological and ethical discussions about abnormality and perversity we adopt the thoughts of Dany-Robert Dufour and Simpson / A pesquisa investiga o tema das narrativas de séries televisivas sobre serial killers, centrando sua atenção na série norte-americana Dexter, produzida no período de 2006 a 2013, sem deixar de examiná-la no contexto de outras séries do mesmo gênero. Para saber como o fascínio do crime é narrativizado neste tipo de série buscamos identificar suas semelhanças e diferenças, comparando as narrativas, os conflitos principais, o protagonismo do serial killer, as relações entre os sujeitos-personagens e questões complexas ligadas às ações e características de cada serial killer e ao desenvolvimento da narrativa em si – todas centradas na compulsão de matar do protagonista, considerando sua permanência na invisibilidade e os laços sociais entre ele e os demais personagens; para isto buscamos recuperar historicamente o processo de construção discursiva de filmes antigos com a mesma temática para compreendermos como se estabeleceu o universo das séries. Partimos do pressuposto de que existe uma transformação da estrutura narrativa e dos personagens serial killers nos audiovisuais das últimas décadas. Há, nesse contexto, uma necessidade de entender como as séries se utilizam das linguagens do audiovisual, como tensionam a oposição normal versus anormal, como se dá a convocação da cumplicidade do espectador e como a violência e a perversão se tornam elementos de estruturação da organização social e eventualmente efetivadoras da sanção. A nosso ver, questionar sobre o que mantém a tensão da narrativa das séries é um modo de avaliarmos nossos processos de significação e moralidade civil. A fundamentação teórica se baseia nos saberes das áreas de Audiovisual, Semiótica, Psicanálise, Sociologia e Filosofia. Para o audiovisual, utilizamos Neale, Arlindo Machado e Sonia Rodrigues em seus estudos sobre as estratégias narrativas em séries dramáticas; os estudos sobre cinema contaram com os aportes de Shaviro e Naremore e os estudos de série com Douglas L. Howard; as investigações sobre cinema de Ismail Xavier também fortalecem as análises desta tese. Na análise do percurso gerativo de sentido das narrativas se fazem necessários os aportes da semiótica discursiva de Eric Landowski e Ana Cláudia de Oliveira, mas nos utilizamos também da semiótica tensiva de Claude Zilberberg. Quanto à psicanálise, para abordar o conceito lacaniano de perversão e neurose, nos utilizamos dos textos de Nasio, Žižek, Bond, Philippe Julien e Antonio Quinet, que nos apoiam na explanação do universo do sujeito serial killer. Para as discussões sociológicas e éticas sobre anormalidade e perversidade adotamos os pensamentos de Dany-Robert Dufour e Simpson

Psychological profiling of an offender Psychological profiling is a method of investigation developed in the 70's in the USA. This method is founded on research of behaviour of unknown offender with purpose to make conclusions about his personality. The purpose of my thesis is to find out how psychological profile can help during investigation. I would like to prove that psychological profiling belongs to investigation, that it can help during investigation and that it can bring a new view on case. The source of knowledge about the offender's behaviour and personality is the crime scene or text analyse. The thesis is composed of three chapters, each of them dealing with different aspects of psychological profiling. Chapter One is introductory and is subdivided into two parts. Part one describes history of psychological profiling. Part Two deals with theorethical background of psychological profiling. Chapter Two focuses on practical part of psychological profiling and consists of seven parts. This chapter explains the process of making a psychological profile, differences between mass-murder, serial-killer ad spree killer, characteristics of expert who creates a psychological profile, limits of psychological profile and differences between crimes committed by intimate people and those by unknown...

This study examines the psychology of fictional and real-life serial killers and the behavioral similarities between them. Three fictional murderers, mainly Macbeth (William Shakespeare’s Macbeth), Buffalo Bill (The Silence of the Lambs), and the Creature (Frankenstein),as well as real life killers such as Charles Manson, Ed Gein, and Edmund Kemper were researched in depth. The data for this study was gathered from a variety of sources such as biographies, television interviews, published novels, articles, and documentaries. This study also focuses on predispositional factors and personality traits that led these killers to a life of crime. While no single behavioral trait was found to be present in every murderer studied, some of the psychological factors that were found to have predictive value included: abusive upbringings, mother hate, adoption, pornography, and brain damage were also reliable predictors in the lives of fictional and nonfictional perpetrators.

This dissertation explores a style of literature known as "blank" fiction that became popular in the United States in the mid-1980s, focusing on its stark, limited form, its minimal plots, its focus on commodification, and its scenes of graphic violence. The author presents the argument that filmmakers were producing pieces of cinema during the same time period that are similar in both form and content to the works of blank fiction. These films are a part of a style she labels "blank" cinema. Blank fiction and cinema are politically charged and highly critical of the social and political situation in America during the time in which they are produced. The authors and filmmakers producing blank works interrogate issues of social irresponsibility, rampant consumerism, and the global domination of capitalist values. Blank artists frequently criticize the perpetuation of such issues by the dominating power of white, middle- and upper-class men. The serial killer figure is used by many to represent the "unexamined" threat of those in power. The use of popular culture references and marketing tags are ubiquitous in blank fiction and film, and it is through the use of such signs that blank artists show their audiences that the power of those that traditionally control cultural ideologies in America can be manipulated and controlled by anyone, thus giving power to those who may have traditionally felt powerless and submissive to the dominant ideologies of American culture.

News media play a key role in U.S. society, helping to inform members of the public as gatherers and reporters of information, as well as by serving as government watchdogs. In the ongoing search for and reporting of information, media professionals must be aware of how they report on crime by being cognizant of how they represent killers, victims, and their families, and by being aware of how they represent any gratifications those groups may receive from the media coverage. This study considers the interactions between serial killer Dennis Rader, investigators and media organizations, and how some of these groups may use the media as a tool to gratify or achieve their goals, as reported or represented in newspaper articles. This analysis will examine news stories concerning one of the most well-known serial killers in American society through a mixed-methods approach study that includes a qualitative thematic analysis and a limited quantitative content analysis.

San Francisco 1987. Kerry O’Brien, a brilliant high school senior and social deviant, believes the Zodiac serial killer, long quiet after years of terrorizing the Bay Area, is trying to communicate with him. When the Zodiac appears to Kerry one evening, and conscripts Kerry to kill for him in exchange for Kerry’s beloved ex-nanny’s life, Kerry must decide whether to embrace his deviant nature or suffer the consequences. The lives of six other Bay Area dwellers intersect with Kerry’s: Sal Palmieri, a Catholic priest disillusioned by the origins of his faith; Joan Evenhouse, a Sister who longs for a human touch; Ellen Fischer, a jilted wife and painter determined to reclaim her art; Harry Fischer, a public finance attorney caught between Ellen and a beguiling young associate; Gabriel Fischer, a teenage obsessive-compulsive who has lost the will to live in the wake of a homosexual romance gone wrong; and Janet Fischer, a professional photographer on the brink of a career breakthrough whose life becomes complicated when an eccentric treasure seeker unexpectedly intrudes. THE BEAUTIFUL ONES GO FIRST explores the question of who watches over us, and if we are ever truly safe, even in our own skin.

The Issue of an Offender's Personality in Criminology Serial killers The cardinal topic of this diploma thesis is an analysis of an offender's personality and the major focus is given on serial killers. Although the serial killer's personality is the main topic of the thesis, a significant part deals with a criminological, forensic psychological and legal theory, involving the explanation of the relevant legal terms. This diploma thesis aims to provide the reader a comprehensive overview of serial killers. The main goal of the thesis is not only to offer probable profile of the serial killer, but to introduce Czech and foreign expert findings into the context with the Czech law and jurisprudence as well. Also, the thesis aims to help the reader to perceive differences among serial killers, mass killers and spree killers, as these multiple killers are often confused. I present some real cases for better illustration of the issue. From the huge amount of serial killers, I have chosen the most interesting or the most recent ones. In the first chapter I explain the term offender. I distinguish the legal and criminological point of view. The cardinal topic of the second chapter is the offender's personality. The first part of this chapter is focused psychologically, nevertheless in the introduction I...

The study of serial killer collaboration has received little attention in academia. While current explanatory theories of serial homicide can include subtypes of serial killers that operate alone, the study of collaborating serial killers has been neglected. In this paper, an integrated, explanatory theory of serial killer collaboration is proposed. The theory builds on concepts from social learning theory, the trauma control model, and relational self theory and aims to examine what interpersonal dynamics that characterize the partnerships of collaborating serial killers. Five cases of collaborating serial killers have been analyzed and compared with focus on individual life histories and how these are reflected in the interpersonal dynamics in serial killer collaboration. The study found that serial killer collaboration is fundamentally characterized by a mutual need for human connection and approval, and that sociocultural role expectations affect the interpersonal dynamics of collaborating serial killers in terms of dominance, victim-preference, victim-acquisition, and method of murder.

Psychopathy and serial murder are 2 of society's most devastating and least understood tribulations. Even less is comprehended with regards to the differences in the way these ills are expressed between the genders. In this study, psychopathic personality traits are considered in a sample comparison of male and female serial murderers. Traits are measured using questions derived from Hare's Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R, 1991). A content analysis was performed to score the components for each subject, using known and accepted biographical and personal interview materials. Findings showed a distinct difference between the sexes, with females scoring lower than their male counterparts, indicating that factor structure of the PCL-R may need to be restructured in regards to females. Implications for public policy including the way female psychopathy is viewed and diagnosed are reviewed.

In this thesis I analyzed three different literary works; A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers (2020), Bunny by Mona Awad (2019), and Dirty Weekend by Helen Zahavi (1991) through the perspective of the female killer. The aim of the thesis was to analyze the so called “female rage” and what led the women in these novels to murder men. I also discussed how the female killers were presented and if and how the women were perceived as monstrous. The method I chose to do this was close reading, and the theory I used was queer theory. I mostly used Jack Halberstam’s book Skin Shows: Gothic Horror and the Technology of Monsters to contextualize my arguments as well as Judith Butler’s Genustrubbel and Sam Holmqvist’s chapter in Litteraturvetenskap II. The analysis showed that there is a connection between the monster and queerness, and that each of the women I wrote about has both monstrous and queer aspects. The analysis also showed the importance of power and how most of the motivation behind the women killing the men was their lack of power in a patriarchal society.