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Very Short Introductions #701
Violence: A Very Short Introduction
Very Short Introductions : Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring
Violence is part and parcel of human history and of human nature. It is one of our most distinctive traits, the one thing that all cultures and societies, across time, share in common. It has defined not only the ways in which individuals relate to each other, but also how collective entities and states have interacted with each other over the millennia. All societies are violent and all individuals have the capacity for violence. However, not all societies and not all individuals are equally violent, and nor does violence exist with the same intensity across cultures.
This Very Short Introduction examines the more visible, physical acts of violence - interpersonal, gendered, collective, religious, sexual, criminal, and political - in the modern world. It explores how violence in the pre-modern world was different from the modern world, and what is significant about those differences. It also discusses what violence is by examining understandings of the ideas, values, and cultural practices embedded in an act of violence, and considering acts of violence as the outcome of a process dependent on the cultural context in which they take place. Along the way Dwyer considers some core questions, asking whether violence is always 'bad', and if there are any limits to human violence? Why is it that what was once considered acceptable - wife beating, duelling, slavery - at some point becomes unacceptable in some societies and cultures, and yet continues in others? And finally, are we becoming more or less violent?
ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Violence is part and parcel of human history and of human nature. It is one of our most distinctive traits, the one thing that all cultures and societies, across time, share in common. It has defined not only the ways in which individuals relate to each other, but also how collective entities and states have interacted with each other over the millennia. All societies are violent and all individuals have the capacity for violence. However, not all societies and not all individuals are equally violent, and nor does violence exist with the same intensity across cultures.
This Very Short Introduction examines the more visible, physical acts of violence - interpersonal, gendered, collective, religious, sexual, criminal, and political - in the modern world. It explores how violence in the pre-modern world was different from the modern world, and what is significant about those differences. It also discusses what violence is by examining understandings of the ideas, values, and cultural practices embedded in an act of violence, and considering acts of violence as the outcome of a process dependent on the cultural context in which they take place. Along the way Dwyer considers some core questions, asking whether violence is always 'bad', and if there are any limits to human violence? Why is it that what was once considered acceptable - wife beating, duelling, slavery - at some point becomes unacceptable in some societies and cultures, and yet continues in others? And finally, are we becoming more or less violent?
ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
160 pages, Paperback
Published June 24, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 27, 2022
It is indeed a very short introduction to violence
August 14, 2023
I am a big fan of Oxford's "Very Short Introduction" series, which now contains hundreds of titles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very_Sh...
I have pursued quite a few of the titles to delve into new areas of knowledge or to freshen up on subjects I had previously studied. I was drawn to this particular title when I encountered it while searching for another book, On Violence, and on Violence Against Women, which is now on my to-read list.
Titles of the book's seven chapters provide a good representation of its scope.
Chapter 1: Violence Past and Present
Chapter 2: Intimate and Gendered Violence
Chapter 3: Interpersonal Violence
Chapter 4: The Sacred and the Secular
Chapter 5: Collective and Communal Violence
Chapter 6: Violence and the State
Chapter 7: The Changing Nature of Violence
The most-common definitions of violence include only intentional acts of harm to human beings. World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence as the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation. The modern view of violence also encompasses harming animals, the environment, and inanimate objects such as cultural sites.
Violence is rooted in our deep prehistoric past. Our aggressive impulses evolved from the need to acquire food & mates and to avoid predators. The nature-versus-nurture dichotomy also enters into the discussion here. Some cultures are more violent than others and within the same culture, some groups may be more violent. Inter-group violence (war) existed in nearly all prehistoric societies. Skeletal remains point to violent trauma throughout human history.
Violence against women is particularly widespread and troubling. WHO data from 80 countries indicate that 35% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence (the range is from 23% in high-income countries to as high as 38% in Southeast Asia). In India, a woman is raped on average every 20 minutes. In South Africa, it's every 36 seconds.
After 1800, homicide in the Western World ceased to be common. The United States, with homicide rates of 2.5 to 9 times that of other affluent countries, is an exception. School mass shootings and other forms of gun violence are off the charts in the US. In the area known as the Northern Triangle in Central America, homicide rates are worse than in the Europe of the Middle Ages.
The state monopolization of violence gained momentum beginning in the 1500s. Nearly all cultures are willing to inflict severe punishments, including death, on those who deviate from the rules. The enjoyment of pain and humiliation meted out to those thought to deserve it is also universal. Torture was quite common in Europe before the French Revolution.
The extent to which religion and violence go hand in hand is hotly debated. Prominent atheist intellectuals are convinced that the very nature of religion leads to violence. In a 2004 BBC audit which ranked 3500 wars from 0 (not religious at all) to 5 (very religious), most wars were ranked 0 or 1. Of course, religious violence can take other forms besides wars. Examples include human sacrifice, ceremonial cannibalism, and scalping in certain regions of the world.
In contrast to interpersonal or intimate violence, which involves encounters between a handful of people, collective and communal violence can involve crowds (mobs), often organized but sometimes spontaneous, as in subsistence-related unrest. Crowd or mob mentality is often blamed for the escalation of violence in such cases.
Some historians have argued that as states began to gain a monopoly over violence, taking charge of administering justice, levels of violence among ordinary people declined. This does not mean, however, that violence declined overall: Think of warfare, terrorism, political purges, concentration camps, and genocides.
In the final chapter on the changing nature of violence, the author notes that environmental disasters and mass extinctions are now viewed as "slow violence," causing harm incrementally rather than spectacularly. This slow violence can and does lead to more spectacular forms of violence, such as warfare. In other words, ecocide can be a precursor to genocide. Regardless of the form, underlying reasons, and scope (individual, community, or state), "haunting shadows cast by violence indelibly remain with us."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very_Sh...
I have pursued quite a few of the titles to delve into new areas of knowledge or to freshen up on subjects I had previously studied. I was drawn to this particular title when I encountered it while searching for another book, On Violence, and on Violence Against Women, which is now on my to-read list.
Titles of the book's seven chapters provide a good representation of its scope.
Chapter 1: Violence Past and Present
Chapter 2: Intimate and Gendered Violence
Chapter 3: Interpersonal Violence
Chapter 4: The Sacred and the Secular
Chapter 5: Collective and Communal Violence
Chapter 6: Violence and the State
Chapter 7: The Changing Nature of Violence
The most-common definitions of violence include only intentional acts of harm to human beings. World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence as the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation. The modern view of violence also encompasses harming animals, the environment, and inanimate objects such as cultural sites.
Violence is rooted in our deep prehistoric past. Our aggressive impulses evolved from the need to acquire food & mates and to avoid predators. The nature-versus-nurture dichotomy also enters into the discussion here. Some cultures are more violent than others and within the same culture, some groups may be more violent. Inter-group violence (war) existed in nearly all prehistoric societies. Skeletal remains point to violent trauma throughout human history.
Violence against women is particularly widespread and troubling. WHO data from 80 countries indicate that 35% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence (the range is from 23% in high-income countries to as high as 38% in Southeast Asia). In India, a woman is raped on average every 20 minutes. In South Africa, it's every 36 seconds.
After 1800, homicide in the Western World ceased to be common. The United States, with homicide rates of 2.5 to 9 times that of other affluent countries, is an exception. School mass shootings and other forms of gun violence are off the charts in the US. In the area known as the Northern Triangle in Central America, homicide rates are worse than in the Europe of the Middle Ages.
The state monopolization of violence gained momentum beginning in the 1500s. Nearly all cultures are willing to inflict severe punishments, including death, on those who deviate from the rules. The enjoyment of pain and humiliation meted out to those thought to deserve it is also universal. Torture was quite common in Europe before the French Revolution.
The extent to which religion and violence go hand in hand is hotly debated. Prominent atheist intellectuals are convinced that the very nature of religion leads to violence. In a 2004 BBC audit which ranked 3500 wars from 0 (not religious at all) to 5 (very religious), most wars were ranked 0 or 1. Of course, religious violence can take other forms besides wars. Examples include human sacrifice, ceremonial cannibalism, and scalping in certain regions of the world.
In contrast to interpersonal or intimate violence, which involves encounters between a handful of people, collective and communal violence can involve crowds (mobs), often organized but sometimes spontaneous, as in subsistence-related unrest. Crowd or mob mentality is often blamed for the escalation of violence in such cases.
Some historians have argued that as states began to gain a monopoly over violence, taking charge of administering justice, levels of violence among ordinary people declined. This does not mean, however, that violence declined overall: Think of warfare, terrorism, political purges, concentration camps, and genocides.
In the final chapter on the changing nature of violence, the author notes that environmental disasters and mass extinctions are now viewed as "slow violence," causing harm incrementally rather than spectacularly. This slow violence can and does lead to more spectacular forms of violence, such as warfare. In other words, ecocide can be a precursor to genocide. Regardless of the form, underlying reasons, and scope (individual, community, or state), "haunting shadows cast by violence indelibly remain with us."
June 16, 2024
this is my 2nd oxford "very short introduction" so far, and i have to say i've been converted-- they are fantastic at accomplishing what the series announces them to be: very short introductions. as with any other book in this series, it's very easy to get pissy about what gets left out, but i personally feel that it's not a relevant critique considering the title literally warns you that it's gonna be brief.
i would actually recommend this as a great primer on contemporary world history, as it lists up a pretty wide range of the most major wars, genocides, revolutions, and violent spectacles in our recent history (1800s onwards), and also touches upon our global historical culture of violence against women and children. i wish i had been given this to read in high school or college, even. perhaps the most shocking factoid in here is that there are now more slaves in the world than there ever were during the era of slave trade.
this book is a summary and overview. it is not meant to introduce any sparkly new ideas with a bang. this is why i also think it is justifiable that it is slightly western-centric; it is an english text made for western readers, so i don't find it to be inappropriate in the least.
i recommend this particularly for those who, like me, might be interested in educating themselves on the history of imperialism and colonialism. it's a great brief overview that will give you leads to new topics to look into.
one thing i will mention is that there is not much emphasis on psychological analyses of violence, either individually or collectively. in general it's more of a social, political, historical approach to the topic. if you're interested in serial killers or neuroscientific studies of violence, this is probably not the book for you.
i would actually recommend this as a great primer on contemporary world history, as it lists up a pretty wide range of the most major wars, genocides, revolutions, and violent spectacles in our recent history (1800s onwards), and also touches upon our global historical culture of violence against women and children. i wish i had been given this to read in high school or college, even. perhaps the most shocking factoid in here is that there are now more slaves in the world than there ever were during the era of slave trade.
this book is a summary and overview. it is not meant to introduce any sparkly new ideas with a bang. this is why i also think it is justifiable that it is slightly western-centric; it is an english text made for western readers, so i don't find it to be inappropriate in the least.
i recommend this particularly for those who, like me, might be interested in educating themselves on the history of imperialism and colonialism. it's a great brief overview that will give you leads to new topics to look into.
one thing i will mention is that there is not much emphasis on psychological analyses of violence, either individually or collectively. in general it's more of a social, political, historical approach to the topic. if you're interested in serial killers or neuroscientific studies of violence, this is probably not the book for you.
May 29, 2025
This is a brief overview of various types of violence, starting with the question of what counts as violence. The book explores violent acts carried out by individuals, mobs, movements, governments, and religions. It reflects upon how the nature of violence has changed over the centuries while hinting at potential reasons for said changes (along with counterarguments.)
This book raised some provocative questions, such as: Why would people go to watch executions? Does Steven Pinker's hypothesis that humanity is becoming less violent hold water? [Pinker made this argument in his book The Better Angels of Our Nature, but it has been refuted on number of grounds -- definitional, methodological, etc. Though Dwyer only briefly touches on Pinker's book and its critics in this book and a detailed critique will require looking elsewhere.] How (and why) do violent tendencies vary across cultures. And, when and how did governments end up with a monopoly on legitimate use of force.
I found this book interesting and informative and would recommend it for those looking for answers as to why and how our species is so violent.
This book raised some provocative questions, such as: Why would people go to watch executions? Does Steven Pinker's hypothesis that humanity is becoming less violent hold water? [Pinker made this argument in his book The Better Angels of Our Nature, but it has been refuted on number of grounds -- definitional, methodological, etc. Though Dwyer only briefly touches on Pinker's book and its critics in this book and a detailed critique will require looking elsewhere.] How (and why) do violent tendencies vary across cultures. And, when and how did governments end up with a monopoly on legitimate use of force.
I found this book interesting and informative and would recommend it for those looking for answers as to why and how our species is so violent.
December 22, 2023
An excellent book. This is probably one of the best I’ve read on the topic of violence, and I’m considering getting it for my permanent library.
However, I urge you to avoid the audiobook. It is awful! The narrator has a slow, jerky, robotic voice with a strange prosody. He mispronounces words, and at one point referred to the Armenian genocide as the “American genocide“.
That in no way is any reflection on the book itself.
However, I urge you to avoid the audiobook. It is awful! The narrator has a slow, jerky, robotic voice with a strange prosody. He mispronounces words, and at one point referred to the Armenian genocide as the “American genocide“.
That in no way is any reflection on the book itself.
December 9, 2022
I appreciate that the book starts with and focuses so much on sexual and gendered violence. It's also got some reasonably interesting notes on further reading. That being said, two sentences on violence towards animals is not at all enough. The book is also rather scattered, which I suppose is somewhat inevitable with a topic this broad
April 5, 2024
as the title suggests, the book does not provide groundbreaking arguments about violence. Instead, it offers some types and social functions of violence, with some historical events and statistics sprinkled on top. Overall, it was fun and easy to read but not sure I would recommend
(-) armenian g******e is mentioned (as if it really happened)
(-) armenian g******e is mentioned (as if it really happened)
April 29, 2024
A good overview as usual from this set of books. I felt perhaps on this topic Gaza and palatine should have been featured more throughout the chapters but that I admit is a personal political view and would not bother most readers.
Overall an easy read that tackles some heavy topics which I hope is a nice primer for a. Philosophical book I'm planning to read next.
Overall an easy read that tackles some heavy topics which I hope is a nice primer for a. Philosophical book I'm planning to read next.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews