Communication, Liminality, and Hope: The September 11th Missing Person Posters

Liminalizing Progressive Efforts in Chicago: Moving Forward and Past Violence

“…The utility of this definition is rooted in other areas of academia. Specifically, the liminal space has been used as a framework in a variety of contexts, such as the Iraq war (Jones et al ), primary and secondary school music programs (Emmanuel ), and public spaces (Jackson ). After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011, family members of those who were thought dead in those attacks placed memorabilia along the outskirts of the grounds of the Twin Towers in New York City.…”

“…After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011, family members of those who were thought dead in those attacks placed memorabilia along the outskirts of the grounds of the Twin Towers in New York City. Jones et al () wrote that they were “not so much commemorating the dead as they were creating a space in which the relatives and friends could keep hoping that the missing were alive” (108). This space may have allowed individuals time to cope with the aftermaths of September 11; however, focusing on the liminal space ignores the underlying cause of the situation and those responsible.…”

“…The heightened liminal space attention received by the victims’ families thus ignores what caused the catastrophic events. Jones et al’s () definition provides an important lens into the Chicago neighborhoods as well based on the pictures placed at the scenes of the crime by family members of victims.…”

“…A majority of the stories concerning these violent attacks concentrate on the liminal space, a transitional place where family members and friends of victims mourn the loss of their loved ones. This space does not contain future goals or plans; rather, it stays in one state of mind where the memories of the victim are often publicized (Jones, Zagacki, and Lewis ). For family members of Chicago's violence‐stricken neighborhoods, the liminal space presents itself in a variety of forms including rituals (Palmer ), memorabilia (Jones et al ), and artifacts.…”

“…This space does not contain future goals or plans; rather, it stays in one state of mind where the memories of the victim are often publicized (Jones, Zagacki, and Lewis ). For family members of Chicago's violence‐stricken neighborhoods, the liminal space presents itself in a variety of forms including rituals (Palmer ), memorabilia (Jones et al ), and artifacts. These forms are then broadcast by the media after a crime, devoting a large portion of the news story to the pathos appeal of the family's suffering.…”