ABSTRACT
The vast majority of people are likely to agree that Jeffrey Dahmer's actions were unacceptable and wrong, but there is little consensus on whether the incident should be seen as a symptom of individual pathology or if it could plausibly be linked to broader social issues. In recent years, there has been increasing scholarly concern with the construction of social problems. Our understanding of the weight and meaning attached to a particular case will therefore depend on a complex process of social construction and cultural work. Constructionist studies often place major emphasis on the interpretation and dissemination of problems through the news media, but fictional and popular works also play a decisive role in determining cultural attitudes in an area like serial murder, and relevant works include novels, films, comics, true-crime books, and even trading cards. The chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
