Anthropology of Violence

The course deals with different perspectives of conflicts and violence, and with possibilities and role of anthropological studies in this area. It deals with topics that are difficult to approach during an ethnographic study: the conflict as one of the fundamental features of social interaction; dual nature of violence – imaginaries and ideas about violence and violent practices; violence and constructions of identities; representations of violence and the role of media; power relations and structural political and state violence; psychological, cultural and social consequences of violence, as expressed in the fear of political conflict, terror and terrorism, modified forms of community or group solidarity; various forms of violence - war, blood feuds, violence against children; violence in urban areas; violence as everyday practices in relation to social class, poverty and social inequalities; violence and gender roles; violence over the body. The course also explores cases of peace processes and humanitarian organizations and human rights issues.