James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2003

AN2106:03

Anthropology of Violence *

26 hours lectures, 12 hours tutorials. Semester 1.

Staff: Dr R Bastin.

Violence, its forms and controls, is fundamental to human social existence and is central to theories regarding the nature of society. The anthropology of violence addresses these points from a comparative cross-cultural perspective. Emphasis is given to the situational nature of violence and human conflict with case studies of warfare, state-based violence, sexual violence, genocide and ethnic conflict.

Learning Objectives:

1. examine cross-cultural approaches to violence;
2. explore in depth at least one major anthropological study of violence;
3. consider the relationship between violence and human nature;
4. understand the importance of violence in modern social theory.

Assessment by tutorial participation (20%); class test (30%); essay (50%).