The crime of passion and the changing cultural construction of jealousy

Killings motivated by jealousy are, on occasion, glorified by the term ‘crime of passion’. The response to such crimes depends on the prevailing attitudes to jealousy and the legal practices current at the time. The cultural construction of jealousy has undergone radical changes in emphasis over the history of Western society, and legal systems have altered in response to changing cultural and social contexts. It is argued that the generosity accorded to the jealous killer has survived these changes. In our current emotionology jealousy is increasingly regarded as psychopathological and as such ceases to be the responsibility of the jealous individual. Although pathological jealousies do exist, the vast majority of jealous reactions are not usefully regarded as pathological. If jealousy is to be translated from a vengeful cry of rage into a disappointed hope, it is essential to recognise that most jealous reactions fall within the scope of normal human experience. When violence emerges from such jealousy, appeals by mental health professionals to psychopathology to explain and mitigate are misguided.