Violence And Society

In this compelling and timely book, Larry Ray offers a wide-ranging and integrated account of the many manifestations of violence in society. He examines violent behaviour and its meanings in contemporary culture and throughout history. Introducing the major theoretical debates, the book examines different levels of violence - interpersonal, institutional and collective - and different forms of violence - such as racist crime, homophobic crime and genocide. It provides readers with a succinct and comprehensive overview of its nature and effects, and the solutions and conflict resolutions involved in responses to violence. Interdisciplinary in its approach, the text draws on evidence from sociology, criminology, primate studies and archaeology to shed light on arguments about the social construction and innate nature of violence. Engaging, wide-reaching and authorative, this is essential reading for students, academics and researchers in sociology, criminology, social pyschology and cultural studies.

In this fully updated and revised new edition of his landmark study of violence in and around contemporary sport, Kevin Young offers a comprehensive sociological analysis of an issue of central importance within sport studies. The book explores organised and spontaneous violence, both on the field and off, and calls for a much broader definition of ‘sports-related violence’, to include issues as diverse as criminal behaviour by players, abuse within sport and exploitative labour practices. Offering a sophisticated theoretical framework for understanding violence in a sporting context and including new case studies and updated empirical data – from professional soccer in Europe to ice hockey in North America – the book establishes a benchmark for the study of violence within sport and wider society. Through close examination of often contradictory trends, from anti-violence initiatives in professional sports leagues to the role of the media in encouraging hyper-aggression, the book throws new light on our understanding of the socially-embedded character of sport and its fundamental ties to history, culture, politics, social class, gender and the law. This new edition also recognises burgeoning new literatures, such as research examining concussion and the link between sport and mental illness and includes student-friendly pedagogical aids, such as critical thinking questions at the end of each chapter. Sport, Violence and Society is a vital read for anyone studying or working in the areas of the Sociology of Sport, Sport Psychology, Ethics and Philosophy of Sport, Sport and Politics, Sports History, and Sport and the Media.

This highly respected title comes revised and updated in a second edition to provide you with a contemporary overview of violence and society. Clearly and lucidly written, this book offers broad coverage of theoretical debates, using case studies from the author’s own extensive research to bring the various theories alive. With a sociological approach throughout, it provides up-to-date coverage of key topics including gender and violence, collective violence and media and violence. New to this edition: Three new chapters on ‘Collective Violence’, ‘Violence and the Visual’ and ‘Theories of Violence′ Material on sex offending and the night-time economy Learning features in each chapter and an ‘at-a-glance’ overview within the introduction

Shedding light on the relationship between violence and contemporary society, this volume explores the distinctive but little-known theories of violence in the work of Georges Bataille and Jean Baudrillard, applying these to a range of violent events - events often labelled ’inexplicable’ - in order to show how even the most extreme of acts can be seen as socially meaningful. The book offers an understanding of violence as fundamental to social relations and social organisation, departing from studies that focus on individual offenders and their psychological states to concentrate instead on the symbolic relations or exchanges between agents and between agents and the structures they find themselves inhabiting. Developing the notion of symbolic economies of violence to emphasise the volatility and ambivalence of social exchanges, Violence, Society and Radical Theory reveals the importance to our understanding of violence, of the relationship between the structural or systemic violence of consumer capitalist society and forms of ’counter-violence’ which attack this system. A theoretically rich yet grounded expansion of that which can be considered meaningful or thinkable within sociological theory, this ground-breaking book will appeal to scholars and students of social and political theory and contemporary philosophy.

"Violence and Society features a multidisciplinary collection of readings by leading national and international experts that set a new agenda for our understanding of interpersonal and state violence in contemporary society. Features contributions from leading international experts in collective, state, and interpersonal violence Develops innovative interdisciplinary theorizations based on new empirical studies on violence and society Incorporates within an emerging analytical framework issues of war, domestic and gender-based violence, fighting, honor and shame, violence and identity, and politics and violence Allows us to better understand the world we live in "--

Be the change you want to see in the world' - Mahatma GandhiThe culture of violence and aggressive behavior has become an undeniable reality of our everyday life. In the past few years, domestic violence and aggressive behavior have increased globally from school shootings to political violence. Aggressive behavior is considered a normal part of human interaction. The modern world is one fraught with violence on both a domestic and international scale. The disastrous effect of religious and cultural conflicts dominates headlines, leaving many questioning - What am I to do, in a world so overcome with violence?The cross-cultural examination and research of Effect of Violence in Society seek to answer such a question, addressing the complexities behind society's increasing phenomenon of violence. Covering a broad range of research fields, including Political Science, Spiritual Psychology, and Sociology, this title will appeal to all who are engaged in the contemporary debate surrounding modern violence.This book not only provides the most up-to-date research but also fills the gap in the research that needs to be explored to create a better society. This book is a great resource for social workers, community educators, students, researchers, interfaith activists, human rights consultants, and interreligious leaders who wish to study and understand the global nature of violence.

In recent years, different regions of the world have been unfortunately experiencing an increase in violent acts within various communities. For example, the United States has seen an emergence of severe violence within schools over the past two decades. This tragic phenomenon is causing administrators and practitioners to rethink teaching techniques and implement concepts of violence prevention within schools and other social organizations. Preventing and Reducing Violence in Schools and Society is a collection of innovative research on the evolution and implementation of nonviolence concepts within social settings in order to repent oppression and violence among global communities. The book explores the effective diffusion of violence through masterful negotiation and mediation skills as well as mentoring, counseling, and related processes. While highlighting topics including nonviolent teaching, active shooter training, and LGBT-phobia, this book is ideally designed for UN, governments and their heads, politicians, NGOs, communities riddled with gang and other violence, schools, educational leaders, social organizations, community leaders, teachers, preachers, religious leaders, mediators, peace activists, law enforcement, researchers, and students seeking current research on contemporary nonviolence techniques to facilitate change in schools and other societal environments.

This book directly explores the question of why contemporary society is so fascinated with violence and crime. The Fascination with Violence in Contemporary Society posits that the phenomenon is, in part, because we have all become consumers of the sublime: an intense and strongly ambiguous emotion which is increasingly commodified. Through the experience of violence and the sense of disorientation that accompanies it, we obsessively seek out moments of intensified existence. Equally, crime continues to speak to the depths of the collective unconscious, questioning us about our transience and the model of society we wish to live in. Binik proposes that this is why the reaction to violence has become a tool with which to express and take ownership of a desire for social cohesion. This book uses interviews with viewers, dark tourists, collectors and others to further interrogate this social trend. Many of these are participants in the four key case studies explored within the study: emotional pathways while watching a true-crime TV series, the trend of dark tourism, murderabilia collecting and the fanaticism of (and for) Anders Breivik. This book seeks to answer one of the most pressing cultural trends of the modern age and fill in a gap in the criminological literature on the subject.