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A History of Violence: A Critical Analysis and its Impact on Current Trends
Author: Dr. Elias Thorne, Professor of Sociology and Criminology, University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Thorne has published extensively on the sociological impacts of media representations of violence and the evolution of societal responses to violent crime.
Publisher: Oxford University Press. A renowned academic publisher with a long-standing reputation for rigorous peer-review processes and high-quality scholarly publications in the humanities and social sciences.
Editor: Dr. Anya Sharma, Associate Editor, Oxford University Press. Dr. Sharma holds a PhD in Media Studies and has over 10 years of experience editing academic publications focusing on social and cultural analysis.
Abstract: This analysis delves into the profound impact of the film "A History of Violence," directed by David Cronenberg, exploring its contribution to contemporary discussions surrounding violence, identity, and the blurred lines between domesticity and brutality. We examine the film's portrayal of violence not as a singular act but as a complex, deeply ingrained aspect of the human condition, shaping societal perceptions and influencing current trends in media representation and the discourse on violence prevention. The enduring legacy of "A History of Violence" lies in its ability to unsettle viewers and prompt critical reflection on the nature of violence in society.
1. Introduction: Deconstructing "A History of Violence"
David Cronenberg's 2005 film, "A History of Violence," transcends its genre classification as a thriller. It's a nuanced exploration of identity, masculinity, and the insidious nature of violence, prompting ongoing discussions about its impact on our understanding of violent acts and their societal ramifications. This analysis examines "A History of Violence," not just as a piece of cinematic artistry, but as a cultural artifact reflecting and potentially shaping our current understanding of violence. The film's enduring power lies in its ambiguity; it doesn't offer easy answers, instead forcing viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about the pervasive presence of violence in our lives and the ease with which it can be normalized. This critical examination will explore how "A History of Violence" contributes to current trends in media representations of violence, the societal discourse on its causes, and our evolving perceptions of masculinity and identity.
2. The Ambiguity of Violence: Challenging Traditional Narratives
Unlike many action films that glorify violence or present it as a simple solution, "A History of Violence" complicates the narrative. The film challenges the viewer to confront the inherent contradictions within its characters and the unsettling reality that violence can be both a destructive force and a means of self-preservation. The film's ambiguity extends to the very nature of violence itself, questioning whether it is an inherent part of human nature or a learned behavior. This ambiguity reflects the complexities of real-world violence, resisting easy categorization and simplistic explanations found in other works. This lack of clear-cut answers, in turn, impacts how audiences perceive and process narratives concerning "A History of Violence."
3. Identity and the Performance of Violence in "A History of Violence"
Tom Stall, the seemingly ordinary family man at the heart of "A History of Violence," embodies the film's central theme: the fluidity of identity and the constructed nature of normalcy. His sudden eruption into violence forces a reassessment of his carefully crafted persona, revealing a hidden past deeply intertwined with brutality. This unraveling of identity resonates with current societal anxieties about hidden violence and the potential for seemingly ordinary individuals to commit extraordinary acts. The film subtly critiques the idealized image of masculinity, showcasing the devastating consequences of suppressing violent impulses and the potential for such repression to explode in devastating ways. This nuanced portrayal of masculinity contributes to contemporary conversations about toxic masculinity and its link to violent behavior. The impact of "A History of Violence" is therefore not just in its narrative, but in its unsettling portrayal of how easily identities can be shaped, manipulated and masked, reflecting our own anxieties about identity in the 21st century.
4. Media's Reflection and Reinforcement of Violent Trends: A "History of Violence" Perspective
"A History of Violence" itself is a product of its time, reflecting the societal anxieties surrounding violence in the early 21st century. However, the film's impact extends beyond mere reflection. By presenting violence with unflinching realism and psychological depth, "A History of Violence" contributes to the ongoing debate about the media's role in shaping perceptions of violence. While the film doesn't explicitly glorify violence, its unflinching portrayal challenges viewers to confront the uncomfortable realities of its existence. This has sparked critical discussions on how media representations of violence can influence behavior and perceptions, impacting public policy debates about violence prevention and media regulation. The film’s ambiguity regarding Tom’s past and his moral choices complicates any straightforward assessment of its influence, making it a rich case study in examining the media's complex relationship with violent narratives.
5. "A History of Violence" and the Evolution of Societal Responses
The film's impact extends beyond media studies into the broader field of sociology and criminology. "A History of Violence" forces viewers to confront the complexities of violence prevention and rehabilitation. It questions the effectiveness of simplistic solutions and highlights the importance of understanding the root causes of violent behavior. This has contributed to a growing understanding of the need for multifaceted approaches that address the social, psychological, and economic factors that contribute to violence. The film's legacy is thus not only in its artistic merit but in its ability to stimulate important conversations within the fields of criminal justice and social policy, impacting discussions on crime prevention strategies and rehabilitation programs. The film, in its subtle way, challenges the societal assumption that simple punitive measures are enough to tackle complex issues of violence.
6. The Enduring Legacy of "A History of Violence"
The enduring appeal and impact of "A History of Violence" stem from its ability to unsettle viewers and provoke critical self-reflection. The film's ambiguous ending leaves the audience grappling with unresolved questions about morality, identity, and the cyclical nature of violence. This ambiguity, rather than being a weakness, is a strength, prompting ongoing interpretations and discussions that continue to shape conversations around violence in society. "A History of Violence" remains relevant because it tackles timeless themes – the struggle for identity, the complexities of human relationships, and the deeply disturbing potential for violence that resides within us all. This sustained engagement ensures that the film's impact continues to resonate within contemporary cultural discussions.
7. Conclusion
"A History of Violence" is more than just a thriller; it is a powerful commentary on the complexities of violence, identity, and societal norms. Its lasting influence stems from its refusal to offer easy answers, forcing viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about the pervasive nature of violence and its potential to reside within the seemingly ordinary. The film’s impact is felt in various spheres, from media representations of violence to discussions on societal responses to violent crime. Its ambiguous narrative continues to stimulate critical engagement, solidifying its place as a significant cultural artifact that compels ongoing analysis and debate. The film's lasting legacy lies in its ability to challenge audiences and inspire continued critical reflection on the multifaceted nature of violence in the modern world.
FAQs
1. How does "A History of Violence" differ from other films about violence? Unlike many action films that glorify violence, "A History of Violence" explores its psychological and societal impact with nuance and ambiguity.
2. What is the significance of Tom Stall's character in "A History of Violence"? Tom Stall's character embodies the film's central theme of the fluidity of identity and the constructed nature of normalcy. His hidden past reveals the potential for violence to reside within seemingly ordinary individuals.
3. How does "A History of Violence" reflect societal anxieties about violence? The film reflects the anxieties surrounding hidden violence and the potential for seemingly ordinary people to commit extraordinary acts.
4. What is the film's contribution to discussions about masculinity? The film critiques idealized images of masculinity and explores the destructive consequences of suppressing violent impulses.
5. How has "A History of Violence" influenced current trends in media representations of violence? The film's realistic and psychologically complex portrayal of violence contributes to ongoing debates about media's role in shaping perceptions and influencing behavior.
6. What is the film's impact on societal responses to violence? "A History of Violence" prompts critical reflection on violence prevention strategies, challenging simplistic solutions and highlighting the need for multifaceted approaches.
7. What makes the ending of "A History of Violence" so impactful? The film's ambiguous ending fosters ongoing interpretations and discussions, leaving the audience grappling with unresolved questions and promoting continuous engagement with the film's themes.
8. What are some of the critical interpretations of "A History of Violence"? Critical interpretations focus on the themes of identity crisis, the cyclical nature of violence, the subversion of genre conventions, and the film's exploration of the complexities of human nature.
9. Why is "A History of Violence" considered a significant cultural artifact? "A History of Violence" is considered a significant cultural artifact due to its enduring relevance, its contribution to ongoing conversations on violence and identity, and its ability to challenge and provoke viewers.
Related Articles:
1. The Psychology of Violence in Film: Explores the psychological underpinnings of violent acts portrayed in cinema, analyzing the motivations and impact on viewers.
2. Media Representations of Violence and Their Effect on Behavior: A comprehensive analysis of the link between media consumption and violent behavior, examining various studies and perspectives.
3. Masculinity and Violence: A Sociological Perspective: Discusses the societal construction of masculinity and its correlation with aggressive tendencies and violent acts.
4. The Role of Family Dynamics in Violence: Investigates how family structures and relationships can contribute to or mitigate violent behavior within families.
5. Violence Prevention Strategies: A Multifaceted Approach: Examines various strategies for preventing violence, focusing on both individual and societal interventions.
6. The Ethics of Violence in Film and Television: Analyzes the ethical considerations surrounding the depiction of violence in media, exploring questions of responsibility and impact.
7. David Cronenberg's Cinematic Exploration of the Body and Violence: Focuses on Cronenberg's filmography and his unique exploration of the relationship between the body, violence, and identity.
8. The Impact of Trauma on Violent Behavior: Examines the impact of childhood trauma and other traumatic experiences on the likelihood of engaging in violent behavior.
9. A Comparative Analysis of Violence in Film Across Genres: Compares and contrasts the portrayal of violence in different film genres (e.g., action, thriller, horror), highlighting stylistic choices and thematic differences.
| a history of violance: A History of Violence John Wagner, 2011 Originally published: New York: Paradox Press, 1997. |
| a history of violance: History of Violence Édouard Louis, 2018-06-19 Originally published in French in 2016 by Seuil, France, as Historie de la violence--Title page verso. |
| a history of violance: A History of Violence Robert Muchembled, 2012 Presents a history of violence in Europe and discusses the theory that violence has actually been in decline since the thirteenth century. |
| a history of violance: David Cronenberg's A History of Violence Bart Beaty, 2008-01-01 David Cronenberg's A History of Violence - the lead title in the new Canadian Cinema series - presents readers with a lively study of some of the filmmaker's favourite themes: violence, concealment, transformation, sex, and guilt. |
| a history of violance: A History of Violence Oscar Martinez, 2017-04-11 “A necessary read.” —Los Angeles Review of Books “A chilling portrait of corruption, unimaginable brutality and impunity.” —Financial Times This revelatory and heartbreaking immersion into the lives of people enduring extreme violence in Central America is a powerful call for immigration policy reform in the United States El Salvador and Honduras have had the highest homicide rates in the world over the past ten years, with Guatemala close behind. Every day more than 1,000 people—men, women, and children—flee these three countries for North America. Óscar Martínez, author of The Beast, named one of the best books of the year by the Economist, Mother Jones, and the Financial Times, fleshes out these stark figures with true stories, producing a jarringly beautiful and immersive account of life in deadly locations. Martínez travels to Nicaraguan fishing towns, southern Mexican brothels where Central American women are trafficked, isolated Guatemalan jungle villages, and crime-ridden Salvadoran slums. With his precise and empathetic reporting, he explores the underbelly of these troubled places. He goes undercover to drink with narcos, accompanies police patrols, rides in trafficking boats and hides out with a gang informer. The result is an unforgettable portrait of a region of fear and a subtle analysis of the North American roots and reach of the crisis, helping to explain why this history of violence should matter to all of us. |
| a history of violance: The Better Angels of Our Nature Steven Pinker, 2012-09-25 Faced with the ceaseless stream of news about war, crime, and terrorism, one could easily think this is the most violent age ever seen. Yet as bestselling author Pinker shows in this startling and engaging new work, just the opposite is true. |
| a history of violance: Savage Pastimes Harold Schechter, 2005-03 In this cogent and well-researched book, Harold Schechter argues that, unlike the popular conception of the media inciting violence through displaying it, without these outlets of violence in the media a basic human need would not be met and would have to be acted out in much more destructive ways. Schechter demonstrates how violent images saturated the earliest newspaper, how art and disturbing images are not incompatible and how the demoaisation of comic books in the 1950s det up a pattern of equating testosterone fuelled entertainment with aggression. |
| a history of violance: Blood in the Hills Bruce Stewart, 2012-01-01 To many antebellum Americans, Appalachia was a frightening wilderness of lawlessness, peril, robbers, and hidden dangers. The extensive media coverage of horse stealing and scalping raids profiled the regionÕs residents as intrinsically violent. After the Civil War, this characterization continued to permeate perceptions of the area and news of the conflict between the Hatfields and the McCoys, as well as the bloodshed associated with the coal labor strikes, cemented AppalachiaÕs violent reputation. Blood in the Hills: A History of Violence in Appalachia provides an in-depth historical analysis of hostility in the region from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century. Editor Bruce E. Stewart discusses aspects of the Appalachian violence culture, examining skirmishes with the native population, conflicts resulting from the regionÕs rapid modernization, and violence as a function of social control. The contributors also address geographical isolation and ethnicity, kinship, gender, class, and race with the purpose of shedding light on an often-stereotyped regional past. Blood in the Hills does not attempt to apologize for the region but uses detailed research and analysis to explain it, delving into the social and political factors that have defined Appalachia throughout its violent history. |
| a history of violance: The Violence Inside Us Chris Murphy, 2020-09-01 “An engrossing, moving, and utterly motivating account of the human stakes of gun violence in America.”—Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Education of an Idealist Is America destined to always be a violent nation? This sweeping history by U.S. senator Chris Murphy explores the origins of our violent impulses, the roots of our obsession with firearms, and the mythologies that prevent us from confronting our national crisis. In many ways, the United States sets the pace for other nations to follow. Yet on the most important human concern—the need to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe from physical harm—America isn’t a leader. We are disturbingly laggard. To confront this problem, we must first understand it. In this carefully researched and deeply emotional book, Senator Chris Murphy dissects our country’s violence-filled history and the role that our unique obsession with firearms plays in this national epidemic. Murphy tells the story of his profound personal transformation in the wake of the mass murder at Newtown, and his subsequent immersion in the complicated web of influences that drive American violence. Murphy comes to the conclusion that while America’s relationship to violence is indeed unique, America is not inescapably violent. Even as he details the reasons we’ve tolerated so much bloodshed for so long, he explains that we have the power to change. Murphy takes on the familiar arguments, obliterates the stale talking points, and charts the way to a fresh, less polarized conversation about violence and the weapons that enable it—a conversation we urgently need in order to transform the national dialogue and save lives. |
| a history of violance: Histories of Violence Brad Evans, Terrell Carver, 2017-01-15 While there is a tacit appreciation that freedom from violence will lead to more prosperous relations among peoples, violence continues to be deployed for various political and social ends. Yet the problem of violence still defies neat description, subject to many competing interpretations. Histories of Violence offers an accessible yet compelling examination of the problem of violence as it appears in the corpus of canonical figures – from Hannah Arendt to Frantz Fanon, Michel Foucault to Slavoj Žižek – who continue to influence and inform contemporary political, philosophical, sociological, cultural, and anthropological study. Written by a team of internationally renowned experts, this is an essential interrogation of post-war critical thought as it relates to violence. |
| a history of violance: The Great Leveler Walter Scheidel, 2018-09-18 How only violence and catastrophes have consistently reduced inequality throughout world history Are mass violence and catastrophes the only forces that can seriously decrease economic inequality? To judge by thousands of years of history, the answer is yes. Tracing the global history of inequality from the Stone Age to today, Walter Scheidel shows that inequality never dies peacefully. Inequality declines when carnage and disaster strike and increases when peace and stability return. The Great Leveler is the first book to chart the crucial role of violent shocks in reducing inequality over the full sweep of human history around the world. Ever since humans began to farm, herd livestock, and pass on their assets to future generations, economic inequality has been a defining feature of civilization. Over thousands of years, only violent events have significantly lessened inequality. The Four Horsemen of leveling—mass-mobilization warfare, transformative revolutions, state collapse, and catastrophic plagues—have repeatedly destroyed the fortunes of the rich. Scheidel identifies and examines these processes, from the crises of the earliest civilizations to the cataclysmic world wars and communist revolutions of the twentieth century. Today, the violence that reduced inequality in the past seems to have diminished, and that is a good thing. But it casts serious doubt on the prospects for a more equal future. An essential contribution to the debate about inequality, The Great Leveler provides important new insights about why inequality is so persistent—and why it is unlikely to decline anytime soon. |
| a history of violance: The Roots of Violence M. J. Azevedo, 2005-10-11 Azevedo explores how violence has permeated and become almost an intrinsic part of the fabric of the central-eastern Sudanic societies and how foreign interference over the centuries have exacerbated rather than suppressed the violence. |
| a history of violance: On Violence in History Philip Dwyer, Mark S. Micale, 2020-01-10 Is global violence on the decline? Scholars argue that Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker’s proposal that violence has declined dramatically over time is flawed. This highly-publicized argument that human violence across the world has been dramatically abating continues to influence discourse among academics and the general public alike. In this provocative volume, a cast of eminent historians interrogate Pinker’s thesis by exposing the realities of violence throughout human history. In doing so, they reveal the history of human violence to be richer, more thought-provoking, and considerably more complicated than Pinker claims. From the introduction: Not all of the scholars included in this volume agree on everything, but the overall verdict is that Pinker’s thesis, for all the stimulus it may have given to discussions around violence, is seriously, if not fatally, flawed.The problems that come up time and again are the failure to genuinely engage with historical methodologies; the unquestioning use of dubious sources; the tendency to exaggerate the violence of the past in order to contrast it with the supposed peacefulness of the modern era; the creation of a number of straw men, which Pinker then goes on to debunk; and its extraordinarily Western-centric, not to say Whiggish, view of the world. Complex historical questions, as the essays in this volume clearly demonstrate, cannot be answered with any degree of certainty, and certainly not in a simplistic way. Our goal here is not to offer a final, definitive verdict on Pinker’s work; it is, rather, to initiate an ongoing process of assessment that in the future will incorporate as much of the history profession as possible. |
| a history of violance: Fields of Blood Karen Armstrong, 2014-10-28 A sweeping exploration of religion and the history of human violence—from the New York Times bestselling author of The History of God • “Elegant and powerful.... Both erudite and accurate, dazzling in its breadth of knowledge and historical detail.” —The Washington Post In these times of rising geopolitical chaos, the need for mutual understanding between cultures has never been more urgent. Religious differences are seen as fuel for violence and warfare. In these pages, one of our greatest writers on religion, Karen Armstrong, amasses a sweeping history of humankind to explore the perceived connection between war and the world’s great creeds—and to issue a passionate defense of the peaceful nature of faith. With unprecedented scope, Armstrong looks at the whole history of each tradition—not only Christianity and Islam, but also Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Judaism. Religions, in their earliest days, endowed every aspect of life with meaning, and warfare became bound up with observances of the sacred. Modernity has ushered in an epoch of spectacular violence, although, as Armstrong shows, little of it can be ascribed directly to religion. Nevertheless, she shows us how and in what measure religions came to absorb modern belligerence—and what hope there might be for peace among believers of different faiths in our time. |
| a history of violance: A Fiery & Furious People James Sharpe, 2016-09-08 *Chosen as a Book of the Year by The Times, History Today and the Sunday Telegraph* ‘Wonderfully entertaining, comprehensive and astute.’ The Times ‘Genuinely hard to put down.’ BBC History Magazine From murder to duelling, highway robbery to mugging: the darker side of English life explored. Spanning some seven centuries, A Fiery & Furious People traces the subtle shifts that have taken place both in the nature of violence and in people’s attitudes to it. How could football be regarded at one moment as a raucous pastime that should be banned, and the next as a respectable sport that should be encouraged? When did the serial killer first make an appearance? What gave rise to particular types of violent criminal - medieval outlaws, Victorian garrotters – and what made them dwindle and then vanish? Above all, Professor James Sharpe hones in on a single, fascinating question: has the country that has experienced so much turmoil naturally prone to violence or are we, in fact, becoming a gentler nation? ‘Wonderful . . . A fascinating and rare example of a beautifully crafted scholarly work.’ Times Higher Education ‘Sweeping and ambitious . . . A humane and clear-eyed guide to a series of intractable and timely questions.’ Observer ‘Deeply researched, thoughtfully considered and vividly written . . . Read it.’ History Today ‘Magisterial . . . The outlaw’s song has surely never been better rendered.’ Times Literary Supplement |
| a history of violance: Violence, Order, and Unrest Elizabeth Mancke, Jerry Bannister, Denis McKim, Scott W. See, 2019-01-01 This edited collection offers a broad reinterpretation of the origins of Canada. Drawing on cutting-edge research in a number of fields, Violence, Order, and Unrest explores the development of British North America from the mid-eighteenth century through the aftermath of Confederation. The chapters cover an ambitious range of topics, from Indigenous culture to municipal politics, public executions to runaway slave advertisements. Cumulatively, this book examines the diversity of Indigenous and colonial experiences across northern North America and provides fresh perspectives on the crucial roles of violence and unrest in attempts to establish British authority in Indigenous territories. In the aftermath of Canada 150, Violence, Order, and Unrest offers a timely contribution to current debates over the nature of Canadian culture and history, demonstrating that we cannot understand Canada today without considering its origins as a colonial project. |
| a history of violance: The Cambridge World History of Violence: Volume 1, The Prehistoric and Ancient Worlds Garrett G. Fagan, Linda Fibiger, Mark Hudson, Matthew Trundle, 2020-03-31 The first in a four-volume set, The Cambridge World History of Violence, Volume 1 provides a comprehensive examination of violence in prehistory and the ancient world. Covering the Palaeolithic through to the end of classical antiquity, the chapters take a global perspective spanning sub-Saharan Africa, the Near East, Europe, India, China, Japan and Central America. Unlike many previous works, this book does not focus only on warfare but examines violence as a broader phenomenon. The historical approach complements, and in some cases critiques, previous research on the anthropology and psychology of violence in the human story. Written by a team of contributors who are experts in each of their respective fields, Volume 1 will be of particular interest to anyone fascinated by archaeology and the ancient world. |
| a history of violance: A global history of early modern violence Erica Charters, Marie Houllemare, Peter H. Wilson, 2021-01-26 This electronic version has been made available under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) open access license. This is the first extensive analysis of large-scale violence and the methods of its restraint in the early modern world. Using examples from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe, it questions the established narrative that violence was only curbed through the rise of western-style nation states and civil societies. Global history allows us to reframe and challenge traditional models for the history of violence and to rethink categories and units of analysis through comparisons. By decentring Europe and exploring alternative patterns of violence, the contributors to this volume articulate the significance of violence in narratives of state- and empire-building, as well as in their failure and decline, while also providing new means of tracing the transition from the early modern to modernity. |
| a history of violance: Non-Violence Domenico Losurdo, 2015-04-09 We know of the blood and tears provoked by the projects of transformation of the world through war or revolution. Starting from the essay published in 1921 by Walter Benjamin, twentieth century philosophy has been committed to the criticism of violence, even when it has claimed to follow noble ends. But what do we know of the dilemmas, of the “betrayals,” of the disappointments and tragedies which the movement of non-violence has suffered? This book tells a fascinating history: from the American Christian organizations in the first decades of the nineteenth century who wanted to eliminate slavery and war in a non-violent way, to the protagonists of movements—Thoreau, Tolstoy, Gandhi, Capitini, M. L. King, the Dalai Lama—who either for idealism or for political calculation flew the flag of non-violence, up to the leaders of today’s “color revolutions.” |
| a history of violance: A History of Violence Dr Wayne a Johnson, 2014-03-07 |
| a history of violance: Violent History of Benevolence Chris Chapman, A.J. Withers, 2019-02-20 A Violent History of Benevolence traces how normative histories of liberalism, progress, and social work enact and obscure systemic violences. Chris Chapman and A.J. Withers explore how normative social work history is structured in such a way that contemporary social workers can know many details about social work's violences, without ever imagining that they may also be complicit in these violences. Framings of social work history actively create present-day political and ethical irresponsibility, even among those who imagine themselves to be anti-oppressive, liberal, or radical. The authors document many histories usually left out of social work discourse, including communities of Black social workers (who, among other things, never removed children from their homes involuntarily), the role of early social workers in advancing eugenics and mass confinement, and the resonant emergence of colonial education, psychiatry, and the penitentiary in the same decade. Ultimately, A Violent History of Benevolence aims to invite contemporary social workers and others to reflect on the complex nature of contemporary social work, and specifically on the present-day structural violences that social work enacts in the name of benevolence. |
| a history of violance: A Brief History of Seven Killings Marlon James, 2015-09-08 A tale inspired by the 1976 attempted assassination of Bob Marley spans decades and continents to explore the experiences of journalists, drug dealers, killers, and ghosts against a backdrop of social and political turmoil. |
| a history of violance: History of violence (A) John Wagner, Vincent Locke, 2011 |
| a history of violance: Violence Against Women in Kentucky Carol E. Jordan, 2014-04-28 Weaving together universal themes of family, geography, and death with images of America's frontier landscape, former Kentucky Poet Laureate Joe Survant has been lauded for his ability to capture the spirit of the land and its people. Kliatt magazine has praised his work, stating, Survant's words sing.... This is storytelling at its best. Exploring the pre-Columbian and frontier history of the commonwealth, The Land We Dreamed is the final installment in the poet's trilogy on rural Kentucky. The poems in the book feature several well-known figures and their stories, reimagining Dr. Thomas Walker's naming of the Cumberland Plateau, Mary Draper Ingles's treacherous journey from Big Bone Lick to western Virginia following her abduction by Native Americans, and Daniel Boone's ruminations on the fall season of 1770. Survant also explores the Bluegrass from the perspectives of the chiefs of the Shawnee and Seneca tribes. Drawing on primary documents such as the seventeenth-century reports of French Jesuit missionaries, excerpts from the Draper manuscripts, and the journals of pioneers George Croghan and Christopher Gist, this collection surveys a broad and under-recorded history. Poem by poem, Survant takes readers on an imaginative expedition -- through unspoiled Shawnee cornfields, down the wild Ohio River, and into the depths of the region's ancient coal seams. |
| a history of violance: Crimes Unspoken Miriam Gebhardt, 2016-12-20 The soldiers who occupied Germany after the Second World War were not only liberators: they also brought with them a new threat, as women throughout the country became victims of sexual violence. In this disturbing and carefully researched book, the historian Miriam Gebhardt reveals for the first time the scale of this human tragedy, which continued long after the hostilities had ended. Discussion in recent years of the rape of German women committed at the end of the war has focused almost exclusively on the crimes committed by Soviet soldiers, but Gebhardt shows that this picture is misleading. Crimes were committed as much by the Western Allies – American, French and British – as by the members of the Red Army. Nor was the suffering limited to the immediate aftermath of the war. Gebhardt powerfully recounts how raped women continued to be the victims of doctors, who arbitrarily granted or refused abortions, welfare workers, who put pregnant women in homes, and wider society, which even today prefers to ignore these crimes. Crimes Unspoken is the first historical account to expose the true extent of sexual violence in Germany at the end of the war, offering valuable new insight into a key period of 20th century history. |
| a history of violance: Theatres of Violence Philip G. Dwyer, Lyndall Ryan, 2012 Massacres and mass killings have always marked if not shaped the history of the world and as such are subjects of increasing interest among historians. The premise underlying this collection is that massacres were an integral, if not accepted part (until quite recently) of warfare, and that they were often fundamental to the colonizing process in the early modern and modern worlds. Making a deliberate distinction between 'massacre' and 'genocide', the editors call for an entirely separate and new subject under the rubric of 'Massacre Studies', dealing with mass killings that are not genocidal in intent. This volume offers a reflection on the nature of mass killings and extreme violence across regions and across centuries, and brings together a wide range of approaches and case studies. |
| a history of violance: The Violence of Representation (Routledge Revivals) Nancy Armstrong, Leonard Tennenhouse, 2014-06-17 First published in 1989, this collection of essays brings into focus the history of a specific form of violence – that of representation. The contributors identify representations of self and other that empower a particular class, gender, nation, or race, constructing a history of the west as the history of changing modes of subjugation. The essays bring together a wide range of literary and historical work to show how writing became an increasingly important mode of domination during the modern period as ruling ideas became a form of violence in their own right. This reissue will be of particular value to literature students with an interest in the concept of violence, and the boundaries and capacity of discourse. |
| a history of violance: The Ku Klux Klan Sara Bullard, 1998-06 |
| a history of violance: Violence and Civilization Roderick Campbell, 2013-12-31 This collection of essays begins with the premise that violence, in its relationship to order, is a central element of history. Taking a broad definition of violence, including structural and symbolic violence, the contributions move beyond the problematic of civilization’s mitigating or foundational role, instead seeing violence as inherently social, and, perhaps, socially inherent (if variable). The question then becomes what forms of harm are authorized or banned in which social orders and how they change over time. Beginning with a theoretical introduction, this interdisciplinary volume includes seven papers representing cultural anthropology, history, archaeology and international relations. The papers range from China to the Americas and from the 2nd millennium BCE to the 21st century CE. Some deal with long-term developments while others focus on a single time and place. Many treat the issue of the visibility/invisibility of violence, while all in one way or another deal with the role of violence in the re-production of community. Together, the volume aims to paint, with a few strokes, the outlines of a deep historical anthropology of social violence. The volume is based on the proceedings of a symposium hosted at Brown University. |
| a history of violance: Between Legitimacy and Violence Marco Palacios, 2006-06-06 DIVComprehensive overview of modern Colombian history considers why Colombia's long-established, stable political institutions have not been able to prevent frequent and extreme violence./div |
| a history of violance: Violence in America Ted Robert Gurr, 1989-06 An excellent companion to Violence in America: The History of Crime, this volume provides fascinating insight into recently developed theories on the sources of recurring conflict in American society. With their main focus on traumatic issues that have generated group violence and continue to do so, the contributors discuss the most intractable source of social and political conflict in our history--the resistance of Black Americans to their inferior status, and the efforts of White Americans to keep them there. Other intriguing topics include the emergence and decline of political terrorism and the continuation of violent threats from right-wing extremists, such as the Klan, the Order, and the Aryan nations. The basic assumption underlying all interpretations is that group violence grows out of the dynamics of social change and political contention. The idea presented is that the origins, processes, and outcomes of group violence, like the causes and consequences of crime, must be understood and dealt with in their social contexts. This volume is essential reading for students and professionals in history, criminology, victimology, political science, and other related areas. SEE QUOTE W/ VOLUME ONE |
| a history of violance: A History of Murder Pieter Spierenburg, 2013-04-18 This book offers a fascinating and insightful overview of seven centuries of murder in Europe. It tells the story of the changing face of violence and documents the long-term decline in the incidence of homicide. From medieval vendettas to stylised duels, from the crime passionel of the modern period right up to recent public anxieties about serial killings and underworld assassinations, the book offers a richly illustrated account of murder’s metamorphoses. In this original and compelling contribution, Spierenburg sheds new light on several important themes. He looks, for example, at the transformation of homicide from a private matter, followed by revenge or reconciliation, into a public crime, always subject to state intervention. Combining statistical data with a cultural approach, he demonstrates the crucial role gender played in the spiritualisation of male honour and the subsequent reduction of male-on-male aggression, as well as offering a comparative view of how different social classes practised and reacted to violence. This authoritative study will be of great value to students and scholars of the history of crime and violence, criminology and the sociology of violence. At a time when murder rates are rising and public fears about violent crime are escalating, this book will also interest the general reader intrigued by how our relationship with murder reached this point. |
| a history of violance: History of the Spirit Lake Massacre and Captivity of Miss Abbie Gardner Abbie Gardner-Sharp, 1885 |
| a history of violance: Killer Images Joram ten Brink, Joshua Oppenheimer, 2013-01-08 Cinema has long shaped not only how mass violence is perceived but also how it is performed. Today, when media coverage is central to the execution of terror campaigns and news anchormen serve as embedded journalists, a critical understanding of how the moving image is implicated in the imaginations and actions of perpetrators and survivors of violence is all the more urgent. If the cinematic image and mass violence are among the defining features of modernity, the former is significantly implicated in the latter, and the nature of this implication is the book's central focus. This book brings together a range of newly commissioned essays and interviews from the world's leading academics and documentary filmmakers, including Ben Anderson, Errol Morris, Harun Farocki, Rithy Phan, Avi Mograbi, Brian Winston, and Michael Chanan. Contributors explore such topics as the tension between remembrance and performance, the function of moving images in the execution of political violence, and nonfiction filmmaking methods that facilitate communities of survivors to respond to, recover, and redeem a history that sought to physically and symbolically annihilate them |
| a history of violance: The Anomaly Hervé Le Tellier, 2021-11-23 A New York Times bestseller and a Best Thriller of the Year Winner of the Goncourt Prize and now an international phenomenon, this dizzying, whip-smart novel blends crime, fantasy, sci-fi, and thriller as it plumbs the mysteries surrounding a Paris-New York flight. Who would we be if we had made different choices? Told that secret, left that relationship, written that book? We all wonder—the passengers of Air France 006 will find out. In their own way, they were all living double lives when they boarded the plane: Blake, a respectable family man who works as a contract killer. Slimboy, a Nigerian pop star who uses his womanizing image to hide that he’s gay. Joanna, a Black American lawyer pressured to play the good old boys’ game to succeed with her Big Pharma client. Victor Miesel, a critically acclaimed yet largely obscure writer suddenly on the precipice of global fame. About to start their descent to JFK, they hit a shockingly violent patch of turbulence, emerging on the other side to a reality both perfectly familiar and utterly strange. As it charts the fallout of this logic-defying event, The Anomaly takes us on a journey from Lagos and Mumbai to the White House and a top-secret hangar. In Hervé Le Tellier’s most ambitious work yet, high literature follows the lead of a bingeable Netflix series, drawing on the best of genre fiction from “chick lit” to mystery, while also playfully critiquing their hallmarks. An ingenious, timely variation on the doppelgänger theme, it taps into the parts of ourselves that elude us most. |
| a history of violance: The Injustice Never Leaves You Monica Muñoz Martinez, 2018-09-24 Winner of the Caughey Western History Prize Winner of the Robert G. Athearn Award Winner of the Lawrence W. Levine Award Winner of the TCU Texas Book Award Winner of the NACCS Tejas Foco Nonfiction Book Award Winner of the María Elena Martínez Prize Frederick Jackson Turner Award Finalist “A page-turner...Haunting...Bravely and convincingly urges us to think differently about Texas’s past.” —Texas Monthly Between 1910 and 1920, self-appointed protectors of the Texas–Mexico border—including members of the famed Texas Rangers—murdered hundreds of ethnic Mexicans living in Texas, many of whom were American citizens. Operating in remote rural areas, officers and vigilantes knew they could hang, shoot, burn, and beat victims to death without scrutiny. A culture of impunity prevailed. The abuses were so pervasive that in 1919 the Texas legislature investigated the charges and uncovered a clear pattern of state crime. Records of the proceedings were soon filed away as the Ranger myth flourished. A groundbreaking work of historical reconstruction, The Injustice Never Leaves You has upended Texas’s sense of its own history. A timely reminder of the dark side of American justice, it is a riveting story of race, power, and prejudice on the border. “It’s an apt moment for this book’s hard lessons...to go mainstream.” —Texas Observer “A reminder that government brutality on the border is nothing new.” —Los Angeles Review of Books |
| a history of violance: Lie With Me Philippe Besson, 2020-04-07 “I remember the movement of his hips pressing against the pinball machine. This one sentence had me in its grip until the end. Two young men find each other, always fearing that life itself might be the villain standing in their way. A stunning and heart-gripping tale.” —André Aciman, author of Call Me by Your Name A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice The critically acclaimed, internationally beloved novel by Philippe Besson—“this year’s Call Me By Your Name” (Vulture) with raves in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Vanity Fair, Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Out—about an affair between two teenage boys in 1984 France, translated with subtle beauty and haunting lyricism by the iconic and internationally acclaimed actress and writer Molly Ringwald. In this “sexy, pure, and radiant story” (Out), Philippe chances upon a young man outside a hotel in Bordeaux who bears a striking resemblance to his first love. What follows is a look back at the relationship he’s never forgotten, a hidden affair with a boy named Thomas during their last year of high school. Thomas is the son of a farmer; Philippe the son of a school principal. At school, they don’t acknowledge each other. But they steal time to meet in secret, carrying on a passionate, world-altering affair. Despite the intensity of their attraction, from the beginning Thomas knows how it will end: “Because you will leave and we will stay,” he says. Philippe becomes a writer and travels the world, though as this “tender, sensuous novel” (The New York Times Book Review) shows, he never lets go of the relationship that shaped him, and every story he’s ever told. “Beautifully translated by Ringwald” (NPR), this is “Philippe Besson’s book of a lifetime...an elegiac tale of first, hidden love” (The New Yorker). |
| a history of violance: Searching for Boko Haram Scott MacEachern, 2018 This book provides much-needed historical context to the recent rise of Boko Haram, which has terrorised northeastern Nigeria through the last six years. It particularly examines the links between Boko Haram and borderland phenomena --especially slave-raiding, banditry, and smuggling--in this region during the last millennium. |
| a history of violance: Potential History Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, 2019-11-19 A passionately urgent call for all of us to unlearn imperialism and repair the violent world we share, from one of our most compelling political theorists In this theoretical tour-de-force, renowned scholar Ariella Aïsha Azoulay calls on us to recognize the imperial foundations of knowledge and to refuse its strictures and its many violences. Azoulay argues that the institutions that make our world, from archives and museums to ideas of sovereignty and human rights to history itself, are all dependent on imperial modes of thinking. Imperialism has segmented populations into differentially governed groups, continually emphasized the possibility of progress while it tries to destroy what came before, and voraciously seeks out the new by sealing the past away in dusty archival boxes and the glass vitrines of museums. By practicing what she calls potential history, Azoulay argues that we can still refuse the original imperial violence that shattered communities, lives, and worlds, from native peoples in the Americas at the moment of conquest to the Congo ruled by Belgium's brutal King Léopold II, from dispossessed Palestinians in 1948 to displaced refugees in our own day. In Potential History, Azoulay travels alongside historical companions—an old Palestinian man who refused to leave his village in 1948, an anonymous woman in war-ravaged Berlin, looted objects and documents torn from their worlds and now housed in archives and museums—to chart the ways imperialism has sought to order time, space, and politics. Rather than looking for a new future, Azoulay calls upon us to rewind history and unlearn our imperial rights, to continue to refuse imperial violence by making present what was invented as “past” and making the repair of torn worlds the substance of politics. |
| a history of violance: East Asia Beyond the History Wars Tessa Morris-Suzuki, 2013 Despite East Asia's economic growth, ghosts of history continue to trouble relations between the key countries of the region. Unhappy legacies of Japan's military expansion in pre-war Asia prompt on-going calls for apologies, while conflicts over ownership of cultural heritage cause friction between China and Korea, and no peace treaty has ever been signed to conclude the Korean War. For over a decade, the region's governments and non-government groups have sought to confront the ghosts of the past, and focusing particularly on popular culture and grassroots action, East Asia beyond the History Wars explores these East Asian approaches to historical reconciliation. |
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE by Steven Pinker - uutampa.org
The decline of violence is a fractal phenomenon, visible at the scale of millennia, centuries, decades, and years. It applies over several orders of magnitude of violence, from genocide to …
VIOLENCE AND ITS HISTORIES: MEANINGS, METHODS, …
It examines some meanings of violence and the difficulties involved in defining it, discusses some of the trends that have emerged from the history of violence, and offers some suggestions …
History of violence
The teens were asked about their exposure to community violence, educational aspirations, attitudes about violence and violent behavior in the 12 months before they entered 9 th grade. …
Origins of Violence and strategies for change - pathssk.org
Research on these topics lead us to understand better the roots of violence thereby forming a strong base for identifying strategies for creating non-violent communities. Our research is …
A (Conceptual) History of Violence
Only and renowned ones are Robert Muchembled's A History of Violence and Steven Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature. While Muchembled has a canonical social history …
The History of the Violence Against Woment Act
The History of the Violence Against Women Act ... La Casa de Las Madres in San Francisco, California is opened. This was the first battered women’s shelter established by women of …
History General Introduction: Violence in World
For a good introduction to the different disciplinary approaches to violence see as follows: Roderick B. Campbell, ‘Introduction: Toward a Deep History of Violence and Civilization’, in R. …
Domestic Abuse Throughout History
Women showed that domestic violence was the leading cause of injury to women in the United States. It also stated that the FBI estimated that one woman in the United States is beaten …
The History of Violence as a public health issue - CDC Stacks
CDC establishes the Division of Violence Prevention within the health issue – the first special issue newly created National Center for to examine violence as a public health problem.
AMH 4316: THE HISTORY OF VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
AMH 4316 will explore the history of violent behavior, particularly violent crime, in America. A midterm examination, a short research paper, and an end-of-semester examination will be …
A History of Violence, from 1500 to the Present HIS 306N …
This course will use violence as an analytic category to study the last 500 years of history. Historians typically use this period to explain the rise of the state, capitalism, modernity, or …
Origins and Perpetuation of Violence - Columbia University
We seek to place the narratives of the victims of police brutality above ideological, intellectual, philosophical or pedagogical structures. Their stories are located at the beginning of each page …
General Introduction: Violence in World History
In this way, the Cambridge World History of Violence will allow readers to assess the nature and the extent of violence across time and place, to examine its causes, and to consider the …
Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence
Armstrong, Karen and Whit, Jacqueline E. (2016) "Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence," Naval War College Review: Vol. 69 : No. 2 , Article 24. This Book Review is brought …
Session 1 - A Brief History of Violence - MIT OpenCourseWare
The status of this debate about violence (abnormal or normal) and the question of what images should do (expose the normal or highlight the abnormal; do they collude with the unethical …
The Story of Violence in America
American history is characterized by its exceptional levels of violence. It was found-ed by colonial occupation and sustained by an economy of enslaved people who were emancipated by a Civil …
History, Violence, and Steven Pinker
Jan 2, 2022 · Over the past several thousand years, and par-ticularly since the eighteenth century, homicides, criminal assaults, war ca-sualties, domestic violence, child abuse, animal …
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE: THE CULTURE OF HONOR AND …
historical and cultural factors on violence has been explored in the ethnic hostility, between Hindus and Muslims in India (Jha 2008) in Germany (Voigtlànder and Voth 2012). This paper …
Domestic Violence: A History of Arrest Policies and a Survey …
A 1984 study showed that arrest resulting in a night in jail was more effective in deterring subsequent violence than two other customary police practices: mediation and requiring the …
HUMAN EVOLUTION, HISTORY AND VIOLENCE: An Introduction
examine how evolutionary and historical research can advance our understanding of violence. In. papers outline a perspective that transcends the conventional boundaries of criminology. Its …
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE by Steven Pinker - uutampa.org
The decline of violence is a fractal phenomenon, visible at the scale of millennia, centuries, decades, and years. It applies over several orders of magnitude of violence, from genocide to …
VIOLENCE AND ITS HISTORIES: MEANINGS, METHODS, …
It examines some meanings of violence and the difficulties involved in defining it, discusses some of the trends that have emerged from the history of violence, and offers some suggestions …
History of violence
The teens were asked about their exposure to community violence, educational aspirations, attitudes about violence and violent behavior in the 12 months before they entered 9 th grade. …
Origins of Violence and strategies for change - pathssk.org
Research on these topics lead us to understand better the roots of violence thereby forming a strong base for identifying strategies for creating non-violent communities. Our research is …
A (Conceptual) History of Violence
Only and renowned ones are Robert Muchembled's A History of Violence and Steven Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature. While Muchembled has a canonical social history …
The History of the Violence Against Woment Act
The History of the Violence Against Women Act ... La Casa de Las Madres in San Francisco, California is opened. This was the first battered women’s shelter established by women of …
History General Introduction: Violence in World
For a good introduction to the different disciplinary approaches to violence see as follows: Roderick B. Campbell, ‘Introduction: Toward a Deep History of Violence and Civilization’, in R. …
Domestic Abuse Throughout History
Women showed that domestic violence was the leading cause of injury to women in the United States. It also stated that the FBI estimated that one woman in the United States is beaten …
The History of Violence as a public health issue - CDC Stacks
CDC establishes the Division of Violence Prevention within the health issue – the first special issue newly created National Center for to examine violence as a public health problem.
AMH 4316: THE HISTORY OF VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
AMH 4316 will explore the history of violent behavior, particularly violent crime, in America. A midterm examination, a short research paper, and an end-of-semester examination will be …
A History of Violence, from 1500 to the Present HIS 306N …
This course will use violence as an analytic category to study the last 500 years of history. Historians typically use this period to explain the rise of the state, capitalism, modernity, or …
Origins and Perpetuation of Violence - Columbia University
We seek to place the narratives of the victims of police brutality above ideological, intellectual, philosophical or pedagogical structures. Their stories are located at the beginning of each …
General Introduction: Violence in World History
In this way, the Cambridge World History of Violence will allow readers to assess the nature and the extent of violence across time and place, to examine its causes, and to consider the …
Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence
Armstrong, Karen and Whit, Jacqueline E. (2016) "Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence," Naval War College Review: Vol. 69 : No. 2 , Article 24. This Book Review is brought …
Session 1 - A Brief History of Violence - MIT OpenCourseWare
The status of this debate about violence (abnormal or normal) and the question of what images should do (expose the normal or highlight the abnormal; do they collude with the unethical …
The Story of Violence in America
American history is characterized by its exceptional levels of violence. It was found-ed by colonial occupation and sustained by an economy of enslaved people who were emancipated by a …
History, Violence, and Steven Pinker
Jan 2, 2022 · Over the past several thousand years, and par-ticularly since the eighteenth century, homicides, criminal assaults, war ca-sualties, domestic violence, child abuse, animal …
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE: THE CULTURE OF HONOR AND …
historical and cultural factors on violence has been explored in the ethnic hostility, between Hindus and Muslims in India (Jha 2008) in Germany (Voigtlànder and Voth 2012). This paper …
Domestic Violence: A History of Arrest Policies and a Survey …
A 1984 study showed that arrest resulting in a night in jail was more effective in deterring subsequent violence than two other customary police practices: mediation and requiring the …
HUMAN EVOLUTION, HISTORY AND VIOLENCE: An …
examine how evolutionary and historical research can advance our understanding of violence. In. papers outline a perspective that transcends the conventional boundaries of criminology. Its …
