bVeryShortIntroductionsb:Brilliant,Sharp,Inspiring/bViolenceispartandparcelofhumanhistoryandofhumannature.Itisoneofourmostdistinctivetraits,theonethingthatallculturesandsocieties,acrosstime,shareincommon.Ithasdefinednotonlythewaysinwhichindividualsrelatetoeachother,butalsohowcollectiveentitiesandstateshaveinteractedwitheachotheroverthemillennia.Allsocietiesareviolentandallindividualshavethecapacityforviolence.However,notallsocietiesandnotallindividualsareequallyviolent,andnordoesviolenceexistwiththesameintensityacrosscultures.ThisVeryShortIntroductionexaminesthemorevisible,physicalactsofviolence-interpersonal,gendered,collective,religious,sexual,criminal,andpolitical-inthemodernworld.Itexploreshowviolenceinthepre-modernworldwasdifferentfromthemodernworld,andwhatissignificantaboutthosedifferences.Italsodiscusseswhatviolenceisbyexaminingunderstandingsoftheideas,values,andculturalpracticesembeddedinanactofviolence,andconsideringactsofviolenceastheoutcomeofaprocessdependentontheculturalcontextinwhichtheytakeplace.AlongthewayDwyerconsiderssomecorequestions,askingwhetherviolenceisalways’bad’,andifthereareanylimitstohumanviolence?Whyisitthatwhatwasonceconsideredacceptable-wifebeating,duelling,slavery-atsomepointbecomesunacceptableinsomesocietiesandcultures,andyetcontinuesinothers?Andfinally,arewebecomingmoreorlessviolent?ABOUTTHESERIES:TheVeryShortIntroductionsseriesfromOxfordUniversityPresscontainshundredsoftitlesinalmosteverysubjectarea.Thesepocket-sizedbooksaretheperfectwaytogetaheadinanewsubjectquickly.Ourexpertauthorscombinefacts,analysis,perspective,newideas,andenthusiasmtomakeinterestingandchallengingtopicshighlyreadable.
