[NOTE that this event has been rescheduled to November 29]

Join us for TADP-09, “Sociological Perspectives on the Death Penalty”, November’s contribution to the Zoom series “Towards the Abolition of the Death Penalty” (TADP).  This session introduces sociological perspectives on the death penalty, discussing the sanction from the perspective of critical social theories.

Panelists include:

Hosein Ghazian

Saeed Paivandi

This event is moderated by the great journalist, broadcaster and producer Samira Mohyeddin, journalism fellow, Women and Gender Studies Institute, University of Toronto

About this session:  The death penalty is deeply embedded within sociological and sociolegal structures of power that shape its justification, administration, and endurance. A sociological inquiry into this sanction is essential to understanding the complexity of the state’s use of lethal force and its connection to broader regimes of inequality. Personal narratives and lived experiences reveal that capital punishment disproportionately targets marginalized and financially disadvantaged social, racial, and identity groups, thereby reproducing systemic hierarchies of privilege and exclusion. These dynamics expose how state violence is legitimized and sustained through institutionalized discourses of justice and security. This session situates the death penalty within critical social theories, examining it as a site where class, race, and state authority converge to uphold the state’s hegemonic power.

Join us and learn from the deep insights of:

Solmaz Alizadeh

Judy Finlay

Raha Bahreini

This event is moderated by the great journalist, broadcaster and producer Samira Mohyeddin, journalism fellow, Women and Gender Studies Institute, University of Toronto

“Towards the Abolition of the Death Penalty” is a panel discussion series on Zoom that aims to provide in-depth discussions on the death penalty from diverse legal, philosophical, sociological, psychological, and political perspectives. The speakers address and put in context current instances of the death penalty, exploring the dynamics involved in this criminal sanction. The series aims to create a dialogical platform for everyone interested in engaging with the abolitionist discourse to discuss the possibilities and challenges to put an end to the death penalty.

The series is offered in a joint partnership between the Paivand Society, the Canadian International Council (Saskatoon Branch), Amnesty International Canada, Carleton University’s Youth and Justice Lab, the Human Rights Research and Education Centre (University of Ottawa), and the Mardom Foundation, as a year-long monthly discussion beginning in February 2025 and concluding in December 2025.