The Legitimization of Violence

Violence has become a ubiquitous phenomenon in our world. Occurring daily across the globe, violence is sparked by diverse and complicated societal and political factors. While certain aspects of violence such as terrorism have received increasing scrutiny in recent years, violence has rarely been examined as a political phenomenon in and of itself.
Emphasizing the importance of memory, narrative, and political solidarity, The Legitimization of Violence enlists illuminating case studies for comparison, within a general framework of discourse theory. Not merely a description of events, the book explores how violence evolves and takes on a life of its own, thereby enhancing our fundamental understanding of the phenomenon of political violence itself.
Violence, nationalism, and politics are inextricably linked in such controversial political movements as Neo-Nazism in contemporary Germany and the Shi'ia in Lebanon. By analyzing the diverse factors which lead to violent acts, the essays in this volume address the complexity and the correlations between politics and violence. International scholars assess such groups as the Shining Path in Peru and the E.T.A. in Spain's Basque country to reveal how political violence affects the chaotic living condition of millions of people worldwide.

Author: David Apter
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: 01/01/1997
Pages: 448
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.19lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.48w x 1.25d
ISBN: 9780814706497

About the Author
Apter, David: - David E. Apter is the Henry J. Heinz Professor of Comparative Political and Social Development at Yale University and the Director of the Program for Comparative Development at the Center for Area and International Studies at Yale. He also serves as the Director of the Legitimization of Violence Project of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, Geneva.