Public Apology Between Ritual and Regret : Symbolic Excuses on False Pretenses or True Reconciliation Out of Sincere Regret?

Since The 1990s We Witness A Rise In Public Apologies. Are We Living In The 'age Of Apology'? Interesting Research Questions Can Be Raised About The Opportunity, The Form, The Meaning, The Effectiveness And The Ethical Implications Of Public Apologies. Are They Not Merely A Clever And Easy Device To Escape Real And Tangible Responsibility For Mistakes Or Wrong Done? Are They Not At Risk To Become Well-rehearsed Rituals That Claim To Express Regret But, In Fact, Avoid Doing So? In A Joint Interdisciplinary Effort, The Contributors To This Book, Combining Findings From Their Specific Fields Of Research (legal, Religious, Political, Linguistic, Marketing And Communication Studies), Attempt To Articulate This Tension Between Ritual And Sincere Regret, Between The Discourse And The Content Of Apologies, Between Excuses That Pretend And Regret That Seeks Reconciliation.-- When Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word: An Apology With A Legal Disclaimer / Daniël Cuypers -- An Overview Of Challenges Facing Collective Apologies / Nick Smith -- Apology And The Possibiliy Of The Ethical Nation / Danielle Celermajer -- A Time To Heal: Pope John Paul Ii's Penitential Gesture At Jerusalem's Western Wall / Raymond Cohen -- An Attempt To Heal Rifts In Medicine: Collective Apology And The American Medical Association's Attempts At Reconciliation With The African-american Community / Benjamin R. Bates, Jason A. Edwards -- Public Apologies In The Western Balkans: The Shadow Of Ambiguity / Davide Denti -- The Ritual Of Apology And Restorative Justice: Exploring The Victim's Perspective / Daniela Bolivar, Ivo Aertsen, Inge Vanfraechem -- The Discourse Of Public Apologies: Modes Of Realization, Interpretation And Mediation / Zohar Kampf -- Post-transitional Apology: Expressing Contrition Whilst Addressing The Holocaust Transitional Justice's Failure / Alexandra Herfroy-mischler -- From Apology To Excuse: Abuse Cases Within The Catholic Church As Public And Scientific Objects Of Research / Willemine Willems -- The Regretful Acknowledgement: A Dignified End To A Disgraceful Story? / Lisa S. Villadsen -- An Overview Of Challenges Facing Collective Apologies: Their Use In The Corporate World -- Apologies In Written Messages: What Are The Effects? / Daniel Janssen. Edited By Daniël Cuypers, Daniel Janssen, Jacques Haers And Barbara Segaert. Includes Bibliographical References. Also Published Electronically.