Violence in War and Peace: An Anthology

Violence in War and Peace: An Anthology compiles key writings on violence from theorists, anthropologists, and other scholars across disciplines. The collection brings together works from authors including Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, and Nancy Scheper-Hughes herself. The anthology examines violence in its many forms - from direct physical conflict to structural and symbolic violence embedded in societies and institutions. Through case studies, theoretical frameworks, and ethnographic accounts, the text explores how violence manifests in both exceptional circumstances of war and in everyday social practices. The selections range from analyses of concentration camps and genocide to investigations of torture, poverty, and social suffering in peacetime. Contributors examine the roles of perpetrators, victims, and witnesses while considering how societies normalize and justify various forms of violence. This collection challenges readers to consider the complex relationships between power, culture, and violence that shape human experience. The anthology presents violence not as an aberration but as a central aspect of social and political life that demands careful analysis and ethical consideration.

Readers describe this anthology as a thorough examination of violence from multiple perspectives, with strong contributions from anthropologists, philosophers, and historians. Students and academics value the diverse case studies and theoretical frameworks presented. Liked: - Comprehensive scope covering structural, political, and everyday violence - Clear organization of readings by theme - Useful for graduate-level coursework - Strong selections from key scholars like Foucault and Bourdieu Disliked: - Dense academic language makes it challenging for undergraduates - Some readers found certain sections repetitive - High price point for a course textbook - Limited coverage of solutions or preventive approaches Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (42 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (12 ratings) One graduate student reviewer noted: "The readings provide an excellent foundation for understanding violence in its many forms, though the theoretical sections require significant background knowledge."

War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning by Chris Hedges This examination of warfare combines personal war correspondence with analysis of how societies embrace and process conflict through cultural and psychological mechanisms.

The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker This data-driven history traces the decline of violence across human history while exploring the sociological and psychological factors that influence human aggression.

Death Without Weeping by Nancy Scheper-Hughes This ethnographic study documents everyday violence and its normalization in impoverished communities of northeastern Brazil through detailed fieldwork and theoretical analysis.

States of Denial by Stanley Cohen This work examines how individuals and societies develop mechanisms to deny, ignore, or justify atrocities and systematic violence.

Violence: A New Approach by Michel Wieviorka This theoretical framework presents violence as a social phenomenon through multiple lenses including political, cultural, and personal perspectives.

🔹 Nancy Scheper-Hughes coined the term "peace-time crimes" to describe everyday forms of violence that society often normalizes or ignores. 🔹 The anthology includes writings from diverse voices including Nelson Mandela, Hannah Arendt, and Michel Foucault, spanning different historical periods and global contexts. 🔹 Scheper-Hughes conducted extensive fieldwork in Brazilian shanty towns, which significantly influenced her understanding of structural violence and its impact on marginalized communities. 🔹 The book explores how violence can become routinized and accepted as "normal" in societies, challenging readers to question their own assumptions about what constitutes violence. 🔹 The anthology was one of the first major academic works to examine violence as both a destructive force and a cultural practice, helping establish violence studies as a distinct field of research.