NCJ Number
60233
Journal
DEVIANCE ET SOCIETY Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: (DECEMBER 1977) Pages: 291-308
Date Published
1977
Length
18 pages
Annotation
THE DEFINITION OF VIOLENCE AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS IT ARE INVESTIGATED USING THE EXAMPLE OF RIOTS IN DRAGUIGNAN, FRANCE.
Abstract
REAL VIOLENCE AND IMAGINARY VIOLENCE ARE DIFFERENTIATED: VIOLENCE CAN BE A MORAL IDEA, I.E., ENERGY COUNTER TO A MORAL PRINCIPLE; AND IT CAN BE STUDIED EITHER BY EXAMINING THE RULES, NORMS, AND TABOOS FOR CONSTRAINING VIOLENCE OR BY SELECTING A REAL PHENOMENON AND INVESTIGATING IT SCIENTIFICALLY. DESPITE THE GENERAL LACK OF A CLEAR DEFINITION, PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF VIOLENCE HAS INCREASED, WITH THE MAIN SOURCES OF COMMENT BEING THE POWER STRUCTURE, (THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT, THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, THE PRIME MINISTER), AS WELL AS THE MASS MEDIA AND SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS. COMMENTS USUALLY TAKE THE FORM OF STEREOTYPED DENUNCIATIONS, ESPECIALLY BY THE STATE. THE RIOTS WHICH ENSUED AFTER THE DECISION IN 1974 OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TO TRANSFER THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS OF VAR DE DRAGUIGNAN TO TOULON ARE DESCRIBED AS AN EXAMPLE OF VIOLENT MOB BEHAVIOR. INTERVIEWS WITH PROTESTORS SHOW A HOMOGENEITY IN THE AMBIVALENCE OF THE PUBLIC: VEHEMENT DENUNCIATION ON ONE HAND AND FASCINATION ON THE OTHER. THE STATE CAN USE THE LABELING OF THE SITUATION AS 'VIOLENT' TO MASK THE PROBLEM AND JUSTIFY USE OF FORCE. ACCORDING TO THIS EXAMPLE, RESORT TO VIOLENCE OCCURS WHEN THE PUBLIC PERCEIVES A GAP BETWEEN THE VALUES IT RESPECTS AND THE REALITY OF POLITICAL STRUCTURES. THE RESIDENTS OF DRAGUIGNAN ATTRIBUTE THE VIOLENCE TO THE 'INFECTION OF EVIL', I.E., TO THE DESIRE TO EXERCISE FORCE WITHOUT CONTROL IN THE SOCIAL ARENA; IF THE POLITICAL POWERS DO NOT GUARANTEE NORMS, THEY LOSE THE AUTHORITY WHICH WOULD RESTRAIN THE PUBLIC AND THEY MUST THEN RESORT TO FORCE. THE POSITIVE VALUE OF VIOLENCE IS LIBERATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL FROM A PROHIBITION WHICH HAS BECOME INTOLERABLE; BECAUSE OF THIS POSITIVE POTENTIAL THERE IS SOME QUESTION AS TO WHETHER TOTAL ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF REAL OR IMAGINARY VIOLENCE IN THE MODERN STATE IS DESIRABLE. SEVERAL NOTES ARE SUPPLIED. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)