Visions Of Political Violence

Description

In this book, Vincenzo Ruggiero offers a typology of different forms of political violence. From systemic and institutional violence, to the behaviour of crowds, to armed conflict and terrorism, Ruggiero draws on a range of perspectives from criminology, social theory, political science, critical legal studies and literary criticism to consider how these forms of violence are linked in an interdependent field of forces. Ruggiero argues that systemic violence encourages more institutional violence, which in turn weakens the ability of citizens to set up political agendas for change. He advocates for a reduction of all types of violence, which can be enacted through fairer distribution of resources and the provision of political space for contention and negotiation. This book will be of interest to all those engaged in research on violence, terrorism, armed conflict and the crimes of the powerful. It makes an important contribution to criminological and social theory. Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 2 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 1 Introduction......Page 10 2 Systemic violence......Page 20 Poverty, disability and death......Page 21 Organized power and political community......Page 26 A central bank of symbolic capital......Page 29 The crimes of the economy......Page 31 Omissions......Page 35 Consensual violence?......Page 36 3 Institutional violence......Page 38 Foxes and lions......Page 39 Power and crime......Page 43 Police violence......Page 48 Disposable bodies......Page 51 ‘Democratic’ missions......Page 52 4 Crowds and group violence......Page 56 Masses, stupidity and mediocrity......Page 57 Profound honesty and plebian culture......Page 59 Hostile outbursts......Page 60 Whose violence?......Page 61 Looting and shopping......Page 67 Benign and malignant aggression......Page 70 Social movements......Page 72 Multitude......Page 74 5 Conspiracy and the contemplation of crime......Page 77 Conflict......Page 78 Conspiracy......Page 80 Active and passive nihilism......Page 84 Suicide......Page 87 Betrayal and desistance......Page 88 The impossible communist......Page 91 Conclusion......Page 92 6 Armed struggle and civil war......Page 94 Affect and dramaturgy......Page 96 Controversial outcomes......Page 100 Avoiding civil war......Page 104 Violence within national territories......Page 106 Civil war and chaos......Page 109 7 Random killing and martyrdom......Page 113 Poverty or wealth?......Page 114 A significance quest......Page 116 Deculturation and faith......Page 118 The radicalization of democracy......Page 122 In the name of freedom......Page 125 Organizations and networks......Page 127 Voluntary negation of the body......Page 131 8 Chaotic murder......Page 135 Deception......Page 137 The criminology of war......Page 140 Spiritualized rationalism......Page 143 Criminalizing war......Page 146 9 Belligerence as sexual violence......Page 150 The production of masculinities......Page 151 Male fantasies and abject bodies......Page 155 Gender-selective genocide......Page 157 Subjugated subjects......Page 159 Female warriors......Page 161 A pornographic gaze......Page 163 Nation building......Page 165 10 Numinous terror......Page 168 Divine violence......Page 170 A secular age?......Page 174 Low and high time......Page 176 Imitators of Jesus......Page 177 The evolution of martyrdom......Page 179 Religion as a resource......Page 181 The religion of the faithless......Page 183 11 Violence and social change......Page 186 From the arms of critique to the critique of arms......Page 188 Social wars......Page 190 Lycurgus and Solon......Page 191 Class warfare......Page 195 Violence, accidents, chance......Page 197 Old and new dilemmas......Page 200 12 Conclusion......Page 203 Aesthetics and vengeance in reverse......Page 204 Reducing political violence......Page 206 Restoring equality......Page 210 Deliberative democracy and transgression......Page 212 References......Page 216 Index......Page 242