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Based on a survey on victim associations, this article examines the virtues and limitations of concepts such as “ moral shock ” proposed by social movements studies for highlighting the catalytic effect of dramatic events on the onset of collective action. The author explains how the narratives of the event in terms of “ shock ” is less dependent on emo- tions felt by victims than on norms imposed by the disaster frame, journalistic expectations and the social role of victims. The ethnographic approach demonstrates how the event functions as a screen that obscures the fact that many victim groups are based on deeply rooted social identities and preexis- ting organizational network. The victims are not only captive of the event, but they take hold of the event as an opportunity for collective action.
