The Culture of violence / edited by Kumar Rupesinghe and Marcial Rubio C.

Includes bibliographical references.

Introduction / Kumar Rupesinghe -- 1. Forms of violence and its transformation / Kumar Rupesinghe -- 2. Rejoinder to the theory of structural violence / Felipe E. MacGregor and Marcial Rubio C. -- 3. Remythologizations of power and identity: Nationalism and violence in Sri Lanka / Bruce Kapferer -- 4. The impact of drug trafficking on Colombian culture / Francisco J. de Roux -- 5. Ethnic violence: The case of Bolivia / Xavier Albo -- 6. Violence and conflict resolution in Uganda / Edward Khiddu-Makubuya -- 7. Violence and the welfare state: The case of Venezuela as an oil country / Luis Pedro Espana N. -- 8. State terrorism and death squads in the New World Order / Miles D. Wolpin -- 9. Violence and culture in the United States / Robert Brent Toplin -- 10. Children in the city of violence: The case of Brazil / Irene Rizzini -- 11. Human rights and dictatorship: The case of Chile / Tony Mifsud.

This volume examines the relationship between culture and violence, an aspect of the phenomenon heretofore neglected but of growing interest and importance. Taking as their point of departure violence between groups within a state, or between the state and groups residing within it, the contributions seek to identify and analyse the possible links between culture and violence.

Theoretical arguments are balanced with specific case-studies - Sri Lanka, Colombia, Bolivia, Uganda, Venezuela, the US, Brazil, and Chile. The discussions range from considerations of forms of violence, the root factors of violence, the use of ethnic myth in power and violence, and state terrorism, to gender and class factors, violence against children, drug-related violence, and human rights.

. These essays will provide new insights and focus for understanding internal violence and its cultural connections to a broad audience of scholars, policy makers, and students of international politics and culture.