Violence--Overview: Additional Resources

These references supplement the Knowledge Base Essay, Violence--Overview.

Additional Explanations of the Underlying Concepts:

Online (Web) Sources

Nenon., Julie. "Viable Ways for Changing Violence at the Community Level." Online Journal of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Vol. 3, No. 2 , June 2000
Available at: http://www.trinstitute.org/ojpcr/3-2nenon.htm  [Backup Link]

This article discusses violence in terms of social norms that people living in a community go by. The authors argue that certain messages regarding violence can spread through a community unchecked, unless there is a proactive effort to prevent violence from becoming an accepted norm in a community.

Lesser, Ian O. Countering the New Terrorism. RAND.
Available at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph-reports/MR989/  [Backup Link]
This page provides online access to all of the chapters of Countering the New Terrorism, which focuses on ways to respond to the new forms of violence exacted by international terrorists.

"A Logical, Yet Abstract Response to Increasing Violence." Conflict Prevention Newsletter, Vol. 2, No. 3 , 1999
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]

This article looks at the UN proposal for a year of policy-making and reflection for a Culture of Peace. The article examines the potential of such a response and argues that the notion of a Culture of Peace is an abstract, but logical way to respond to increasing levels of violent conflict around the world.

Galtung, Johan. "After Violence: 3R, Reconstruction, Reconciliation, Resolution: Coping With Visible and Invisible Effects of War and Violence." ,
Available at: http://www.transcend.org/TRRECBAS.HTM  [Backup Link]

This work offers a comprehensive examination of the effects of violence in warfare contexts. It maps out the visible and invivisible effects of direct violence on a variety of entitities including space, nature, humans, society, the world, time, and culture. The author provides an in-depth look at the issue of who is guilty for the perpetration of violence, using examples such as Auschwitz and Hiroshima. After the thorough examination of perpetration of and respsnibility for violence, the author discusses the recovery processes of reconstruction and reconciliation.

Reconciliation After Violent Conflict: A Handbook. International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]
This lengthy publication offers a rough guide for how to go about promoting reconciliation in the aftermath of violent conflict. Though the authors recognize that there is no prescription for this difficult task, this handbook is loaded with thoughtful suggestions. IDEA's mission involves the promotion of sustainable democracy around the world, and this handbook is aimed specifically at the tasks that must be accomplished in post-violence situations in order for democracy to blossom. IDEA considers addressing the legacy of violence and rebuilding shattered relationships as a primary task.

Offline (Print) Sources

Wright, Quincy. A Study of War, 2nd Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1965.
Quincy Wright's book still stands as one of the seminal works on the study of war. His is one of the first efforts to quantify and systematize the study of war. It is valuable both for its place in the history of war studies and the insight it provides into the nature of violent conflict.

Opotow, Susan. "Aggression and Violence." In The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. Edited by Deutsch, Morton and Peter T. Coleman, eds. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, April 15, 2000.
The author sets out by outlining various forms of aggression and violence and their common causes. She emphasizes the role that social context, particularly morals and norms, plays in triggering aggression. In the final section, the author suggests that education programs must be developed to train people to minimize violence and manage aggression when it occurs.

Sandole, Dennis J. D. Capturing the Complexity of Conflict: Dealing With Violent Ethnic Conflicts in the Post-Cold War Era. Pinter Pub Ltd, April 1, 2000.
This book explores the terrain of ethnic conflicts in the post-cold war era, focusing specifically on the causes, conditions, and perpetuation of violent conflict and war.

Barkan, Steven E. and Lynne L. Snowden. Collective Violence. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, March 1, 2000.
This book redefines current approaches to the study of collective behavior and social movements, focusing on the characteristics, history, and structure of violent groups to better understand how this violence can be minimized.

Hall, Harold V. and Leighton C. Whitaker, eds. Collective Violence: Effective Strategies for Assessing and Intervening in Fatal Group and Institutional Aggression. Boca Raton: CRC Press, June 1, 1999.
This book looks at collective violence, the effect media has on violence, and institutional violence.

Arendt, Hannah. On Violence. New York: Harcourt Brace International, 1970.
This work explores the nature of violence and its relationship to conflict, power, and politics.

"Terrorism and Political Violence." , .
Terrorism and Political Violence is an academic journal that "reflects the full range of current scholarly work from many disciplines and theoretical perspectives. It aims to give academic rigour to a field which hitherto has lacked it, and encourages comparative studies. In addition to focusing on the political meaning of terrorist activity, the journal publishes studies of various related forms of violence by rebels and by states, on the links between political violence and organized crime, protest, rebellion, revolution, and human rights. Symposia are a regular feature covering such subjects as: terrorism and public policy; religion and violence; political parties and terrorism; technology and terrorism; and right-wing terrorism." -From Publisher Primary Link [Backup Link]

Scarry, Elaine. "The Difficulty of Imagining Other Persons ." In The Handbook of Interethnic Coexistence. Edited by Weiner, Eugene, ed. New York: Continuum Publishing, 1998.
The author addresses the problem of violence and cruelty toward foreigners. She argues that the way we act toward others depends on how we see them. Primary Link

Vayrynen, R., ed. To Settle or to Transform? Perspectives on the Resolution of National and International Conflicts. London, Newbury Park, New Dehli: SAGE Publications, 1991.
The author offers a different approach to analyzing and handling violence. He suggests studying the functions of political violence. In this way the issues of social structure will be incorporated in the conflict resolution process. Primary Link

Burton, John W. Violence Explained: The Sources of Conflict, Violence and Crime and Their Prevention. New York: Manchester University Press, July 1997.
John Burton argues that one of the main sources of conflict and violence is the denial of human needs. He examines the adversarial institutions of society leadership, legislatures, the work place, the legal system and the international relations system, and considers what each would be like if it was designed to solve basic human needs problems.

Graham, Hugh Davis and Ted Robert Gurr. Violence in America: Historical and Comparative Perspectives, Revised Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, July 1979.
This revised edition of Violence in America, is a reworking of this 1968 bestseller, with nine entirely new chapters. The revised edition takes into account the radical changes in American society and American violence between the late 60s and late 70s. The work should be of interest to anyone concerned with the interpretation of America's turbulent past and the assessment of its future.

Gottesman, Ronald, ed. Violence in America: An Encyclopedia. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, February 1, 2000.
This is an encyclopedia of essays on violence in the United States examining the social conditions involved and analyzing cause and effect. Topics include interpersonal violence, specific events, social conditions, and cultural trends.

Scheper-Hughes, Nancy and Philippe Bourgois, eds. Violence in War and Peace: An Anthology. New York: Blackwell Publishers, December 2003.
This edited volume presents anthropological studies that attempt to make sense of human-upon-human violence. The volume's contents provide a thorough exploration of social, literary, and philosophical theories of violence.

Return to Top

Examples Illustrating this Topic:

Online (Web) Sources

Conflict and Hope in Northern Ireland.
Available at: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2000/n.ireland/index.html  [Backup Link]
This page offers access to a broad array of information regarding the long-standing violent conflict in Northern Ireland.

Parry, Nigel. "A Personal Diary of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." ,
Available at: http://nigelparry.com/diary/  [Backup Link]

This site presents the personal diary of journalist Nigel Parry, as he experienced the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a variety of settings in the Middle East over several years. It conveys to some degree, the impact of the ongoing violence in this conflict.

Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo: An Accounting. U.S. State Department.
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]
This page offers a multi-part description of the genocidal events that took place in Kosovo.

"Hate Crime: The Violence of Intolerance." , 1900
Available at: http://www.usdoj.gov/crs/pubs/htecrm.htm  [Backup Link]

This extensive article defines the term "hate crime," gives actual examples of hate crimes, discusses hate crimes as they are associated with schools, housing, and business issues, and details the practices that the Community Relations Service (CRS) uses to prevent tensions from escalating into racial and ethnic conflict or civil disturbances.

Chambers, Stan. Rodney King and the Los Angeles Riots. CitiVU.
Available at: http://www.citivu.com/ktla/sc-ch1.html  [Backup Link]
This page presents a first-hand account of journalist California Stan Chambers' coverage of the L.A. riots. The widespread violence erupted following the aquittal of Rodney King's arresting officers in April of 1992.

Tiananmen Square, 1989: The Declassified History.
Available at: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB16/cic_documents/index.html  [Backup Link]

This is a historical account of the Chinese Army attack on a student demonstration in Tiananman Square on June 4th, 1989.

"Case Study: The Nanjing Massacre, 1937-38." , 1900
Available at: http://www.gendercide.org/case-nanking.html  [Backup Link]

The Nanjing Massacre, also known as "The Rape of Nanking," is a rare example of simultaneous gendercides against women and men. It is generally remembered for the invading forces' barbaric treatment of Chinese women. Many thousands of them were killed after gang rape, and tens of thousands of others brutally injured and traumatized. Meanwhile, approximately a quarter of a million defenseless Chinese men were rounded up as prisoners-of-war and murdered en masse, used for bayonet practice, or burned and buried alive.

Hatred in the Hallway: Violence and Discrimination Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Students in U.S. Schools. Human Rights Watch.
Available at: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/uslgbt/toc.htm  [Backup Link]
In this report, Human Rights Watch documents attacks on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth who are subjected to abuse on a daily basis by their peers and in some cases by teachers and school administrators. These violations are compounded by the failure of federal, state, and local governments to enact laws providing students with express protection from discrimination and violence based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. The assessment of the treatment of youth is, according to international law, as set forth in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights; the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; and other international human rights instruments.

Dowty, Alan and Michelle Gawerc. "The Intifada: Revealing the Chasm." Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA), Vol. 5, No. 3 , September 2001
Available at: http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2001/issue3/jv5n3a4.html  [Backup Link]

This piece discusses the Palestinian uprising or intifada, that began in September 2000. It analyzes the phenomenon by looking at the perception and activities of Palestinians, and talks of differing Palestinian and Israeli views on the course of the peace process. It also discusses the standpoints of leaders and of public opinion toward these events.

"Nanjing Massacre." , 1900
Available at: http://www.cnd.org/njmassacre/  [Backup Link]

This site provides access to a variety of information documenting the Nanjing Massacre of 1937-38. This atrocity was perpetrated by the Japanese Army in China during WWII.

Smith, Anthony. "Violence in Papua: The Role of Military Elements in Perpetuating Violence." Foreign Policy in Focus , November 27, 2002
Available at: http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2002/0211papua.html  [Backup Link]

This article discusses Papua (formally known as Irian Jaya), a part of Indonesia that has been in a state of low-level conflict for many years, as many native people would like Papua to gain sovereignty. Although many concessions have been made by the Indonesian government, the military continues to violate many of the agreements and violence and oppression continue to be a part of everyday life for Papuans.

Violence in the Workplace.
Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/violcont.html  [Backup Link]
This document reviews what is known about fatal and nonfatal violence in the workplace to determine the focus needed for prevention and research. The document also summarizes issues to be addressed when dealing with workplace violence in various settings such as offices, factories, warehouses, hospitals, convenience stores, and taxicabs.

Quam, Michael D. "Creating Peace in an Armed Society: Karamjoa, Uganda." , 1996
Available at: http://web.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v1/1/3.htm  [Backup Link]

This article describes the past two decades of chaos and violence that has racked the Karamoja area in northeast Uganda. It details the impacts of violent conflict as well as ways in which local leaders have attempted to respond.

Godoy, Angelina Snodgrass. "Lynchings and the Democratization of Terror in Postwar Guatemala: Implications for Human Rights." Human Rights Quarterly , August 2002
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]

This article examines the precipitous rise of lynching in Guatemala following the end of the country's 36-year civil war. The author argues that these lynchings are the result of such extreme state terror that social life has been permanently altered.

Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools. U.S. Department of Education.
Available at: http://cecp.air.org/guide/guide.pdf  [Backup Link]
This guide to safe schools was published by the U.S. Department of Education in response to several violent acts that took place in American schools in the late nineties. The guidebook discusses the qualities of safe schools, outlines early warning signs of potentially violent situations, provides advice on how to help troubled students, and also offers advice on how to respond to crisis in the school setting.

Chandran, Suba and Alok Kumar Gupta. "India: Caste Violence and Class in Bihar: The Ranvir Sena." , 2002
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]

This article discusses violent conflict between upper and lower castes in the Bihar region of India. The lower caste in Bihar gained some political power in recent times, and this has led to ongoing tension and violence between clashing caste members.

Yimsut, Ranachith. "The Tonle Sap Lake Massacre." , 1900
Available at: http://www.edwebproject.org/sideshow/stories/ronnieyimsut.html  [Backup Link]

A survivor of the Khmer Rouge describes the violence he witnessed.

Offline (Print) Sources

Curle, Adam. Another Way: Positive Response to Contemporary Violence. Oxford: Jon Carpenter Publishing, April 1, 1996.
"The end of the Cold War has not brought peace to the planet as was briefly hoped. Instead, horrifying and often seemingly pointless violence is all too common. Curle argues that much contemporary violence stems from alienation. Political processes alone cannot end such violence. Lasting peace requires "widespread changes of heart." [p. 5] Based largely on his experiences in the former Yugoslavia, Curle argues that such changes are possible, and offers a model approach to peacemaking in an era of alienation." -Tanya Glaser

Danieli, Yael, ed. International Handbook of Multigenerational Legacies of Trauma. New York: Plenum Press, January 1, 1998.
This volume is a compellation of essays that examine the costs and effects of violent conflict, genocide, and slavery.

Gurr, Ted Robert and Monty G. Marshall. Peace and Conflict 2003: A Global Survey of Armed Conflicts, Self-Determination Movements, and Democracy. College Park: Center for International Development and Conflict Management, 2003.

The Effects of Violence on Peace Processes. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, November 1, 2001.
This book examines the fact that ethnic violence is extremely difficult to curtail. Cease-fires tend to break down and peace agreements are regularly violated. Darby argues that even when blatant political violence is ended by a cease-fire, it tends to re-appear in new forms and continues to threaten peace processes. "He analyzes the nature and impact of four interrelated kinds of violence: violence by the state, violence by militants, violence in the community, and the emergence of new violence-related issues during negotiations. For each kind of violence, the author draws out the policy implications, suggesting how the "guardians" of the peace process can defeat would-be spoilers and change a culture of violence. The volume concludes by distilling five propositions on the relationship between violence and peace processes (Amazon.com)." The author employs five specific cases to demonstrate his points: Northern Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Israel-Palestine, and the Basque country. Primary Link

Colletta, Nat J. and Michelle L. Cullen. Violent Conflict and the Transformation of Social Capital: Lessons from Cambodia, Rwanda, Guatemala, and Somalia. World Bank, March 2000.
This book discusses the impacts of intrastate violence on social cohesiveness, communal trust, and other values that add up to "social capital". The authors argue that other parts of society may be more easily rebuilt after violent conflict, but that social captial is more difficult to replenish and is essential to social and economic development after conflict. The work discsusses the cases of Cambodia, Rwanda, Guatemala, and Somalia to illustrate the devastating impacts of violent conflict on social capital and how these impacts may affect the future of a society.

Return to Top

Audiovisual Materials on this Topic:

Online (Web) Sources

The Mideast: A Century of Conflict Part 3: Partition, War and Independence. 1900.
Available at: http://www.npr.org/news/specials/mideast/history/history3.html [Backup Link]

By 1946, Great Britain decided to let the newly established U.N. decide what would happen to Palestine. They decided to partition Palestine into two states. The Arabs rejected the proposal, and the fighting continued. In May 1948, the Zionists declared independence. In response, four Arab states invaded the new state of Israel. In the following war, three-quarters-of-a-million Palestinians fled and became refugees.

Offline (Print) Sources

Alonso's Dream . Directed and/or Produced by: Lacourse, Daniele and Yvan Patry. First Run Icarus Films. 2000.
This film presents a contemplative and critical look at the impact the Zapatista uprising and paramilitary violence have had on the Mayan people. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Rwandan Nightmare. Directed and/or Produced by: Gallimore, Simon. First Run Icarus Films. 1994.
This video argues that the recent genocide in Rwanda was the consequence of a political power struggle, rather than of ethnic hatred. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

War and Peace . Directed and/or Produced by: Patwardhan, Anand. First Run Icarus Films. 2002.
This film highlights the effects of violence on not only the different parties associated with a conflict, but also on bystanders to the conflict and to the rest of the world. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Return to Top