Violence in War and Peace - (Wiley Blackwell Readers in Anthropology) by Nancy Scheper-Hughes & Philippe Bourgois (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From Hannah Arendt's "banality of evil" to Joseph Conrad's "fascination of the abomination," humankind has struggled to make sense of human-upon-human violence.

Edited by two of anthropology's most passionate voices on this subject, Violence in War and Peace: An Anthology is the only book of its kind available: a single volume exploration of social, literary, and philosophical theories of violence.

• Brings together a sweeping collection of readings, drawn from a remarkable range of sources, that look at various conceptions and modes of violence.
• Juxtaposes the routine violence of everyday life against the sudden outcropping of extraordinary violence such as the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, the state violence of Argentina's Dirty War, and organized criminal violence.
• Edited by two of the most prominent researchers in the field.
• Offers a thought-provoking tool for students and thinkers from all walks of life: an exploration of violence at the broadest levels: personal, social, and political.

From the Back Cover

"This comprehensive anthology is a must read. Recognizing and understanding the continuum of violence is a critical step in meaningfully addressing the fact that violence is not specific, for example, to war, but intimately woven throughout the fabric of society."
Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1997)

"This remarkable work explores the sources and surfaces of violence - public, private, political, symbolic, psychic. Scheper-Hughes and Bourgois transform our most fundamental understanding of what it means to be a victim, an agent, or a witness. In these times of war and violence, this book has a resonance that echoes from the classroom to the state house and the street."
Homi K. Bhabha, Rothenberg Professor of Literature, Harvard University

"Violence in War and Peace brings together among the most profound empirical and philosophical texts on modern violence. Scheper-Hughes and Bourgois have created a volume that challenges fundamental issues concerning the crisis of humanity that violence exposes. This critical and politically responsible book should be read by students and researchers alike."
Bruce Kapferer, University of Bergen and James Cook University

Edited by two of anthropology's most passionate voices, Violence in War and Peace: An Anthology is the only book of its kind available: a single volume exploration of social, literary, and philosophical theories of violence.

Drawing from a remarkable range of sources, the editors juxtapose the routine violence of everyday life against the sudden outcropping of unexpected, extraordinary violence such as the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, the state violence of Argentina's Dirty War, revolution, vigilante "justice," and organized criminal violence.

In Violence in War and Peace, Scheper-Hughes and Bourgois offer a thoughtprovoking tool for students and thinkers from all walks of life. It is an exploration of violence at the broadest levels: personal, social, and political.

Review Quotes

Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1997)

"This remarkable work explores the sources and surfaces of violence -- public, private, political, symbolic, psychic. Scheper-Hughes and Bourgois transform our most fundamental understanding of what it means to be a victim, an agent, or a witness. In these times of war and violence, this book has a resonance that echoes from the classroom to the state house and the street." Homi K. Bhabha, Rothenberg Professor of Literature, Harvard University

"Violence in War and Peace brings together among the most profound empirical and philosophical texts on modern violence. Scheper-Hughes and Bourgois have created a volume that challenges fundamental issues concerning the crisis of humanity that violence exposes. This critical and politically responsible book should be read by students and researchers alike."Bruce Kapferer, University of Bergen and James Cook University

"It showcases the great relevance of ethnographic research and writing--compared to other approaches--for thinking about violence and suffering. This collection will be an invaluable resource for teachers and learners, a comprehensive anthology for introductory classes, or a companion volume for more in-depth seminars ... the reader will find some of the best attempts of the best of the last century to translate pain, uncertainty, and absurdity of violence into an at least somewhat understandable format."

Anthropological Quarterly

About the Author

Nancy Scheper-Hughes is Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Philippe Bourgois is Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology, History, and Social Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.