Warriors and Peacemakers

How Third Parties Shape Violence

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science
Cover of the book Warriors and Peacemakers by , NYU Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9780814772201
Publisher: NYU Press Publication: April 1, 1998
Imprint: NYU Press Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9780814772201
Publisher: NYU Press
Publication: April 1, 1998
Imprint: NYU Press
Language: English

Why do some conflicts escalate into violence while others dissipate harmlessly? Under what circumstances will people kill, and why?
While homicide has been viewed largely in the pathological terms of "crime" and "deviance," violence, Mark Cooney contends, is a naturally-occurring form of conflict found throughout history and across cultures under certain social conditions. Cooney has analyzed the social control of homicide within and across over 30 societies and interviewed several dozens of prisoners incarcerated for murder or manslaughter, as well as members of their families. Violence such as homicide can only be understood, he argues, by transcending the traditional focus on the social characteristics of the killer and victims, and by looking at the role played by family members, friends, neighbors, onlookers, police officers, and judges. These third parties can be a source of peace or violence, depending on how they are configured in particular cases. Violence flourishes, Cooney demonstrates, when authority is either very strong or very weak and when third-party ties are strong and boundaries between groups sharply defined.
Drawing on recent theory in the lively new sociological speciality of conflict management, Mark Cooney has culled a vast array of evidence from modern and preindustrial societies to provide us with the first general sociological analysis of human violence.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Why do some conflicts escalate into violence while others dissipate harmlessly? Under what circumstances will people kill, and why?
While homicide has been viewed largely in the pathological terms of "crime" and "deviance," violence, Mark Cooney contends, is a naturally-occurring form of conflict found throughout history and across cultures under certain social conditions. Cooney has analyzed the social control of homicide within and across over 30 societies and interviewed several dozens of prisoners incarcerated for murder or manslaughter, as well as members of their families. Violence such as homicide can only be understood, he argues, by transcending the traditional focus on the social characteristics of the killer and victims, and by looking at the role played by family members, friends, neighbors, onlookers, police officers, and judges. These third parties can be a source of peace or violence, depending on how they are configured in particular cases. Violence flourishes, Cooney demonstrates, when authority is either very strong or very weak and when third-party ties are strong and boundaries between groups sharply defined.
Drawing on recent theory in the lively new sociological speciality of conflict management, Mark Cooney has culled a vast array of evidence from modern and preindustrial societies to provide us with the first general sociological analysis of human violence.

More books from NYU Press

Cover of the book Vulnerability Politics by
Cover of the book Faces of America by
Cover of the book The Measure of America, 2010-2011 by
Cover of the book Guadalupe in New York by
Cover of the book Everyone Eats by
Cover of the book Representing Youth by
Cover of the book Life without Parole by
Cover of the book License to Wed by
Cover of the book Preventive Force by
Cover of the book Red Seas by
Cover of the book Releasing Prisoners, Redeeming Communities by
Cover of the book Science for Segregation by
Cover of the book Teaching What You're Not by
Cover of the book Americans Without Law by
Cover of the book Parental Incarceration and the Family by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy