NCJ Number
234991
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 51 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2011 Pages: 578-598
Date Published
May 2011
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article provides an overview of anthropological evidence on patterns of violence in non-state societies.
Abstract
Anthropological sources on non-state, tribal societies offer a wealth of evidence on violence that can expand the spatial and temporal gaze of criminological research. Reviewing this literature allows for a more comparative analysis of patterns of violence and challenges contemporary notions of social change and order. This paper provides an overview of the most relevant anthropological evidence on patterns of violence in non-state societies. Specifically, trends and overall levels of violence, age and sex patterns as well as social and environmental factors are reviewed in order to determine whether contemporary concepts and patterns of violence are universal or culturally specific. The findings presented here indicate that violence in non-state societies is a ubiquitous but culturally varying phenomenon used by males and may be related to interdependent social organizations and networks of exchange. (Published Abstract)