The Sociology of War and Violence

Description

War is a highly complex and dynamic form of social conflict. This book demonstrates the importance of using sociological tools to understand the changing character of war and organised violence. The author offers an original analysis of the historical and contemporary impact that coercion and warfare have on the transformation of social life, and vice versa. Although war and violence were decisive components in the formation of modernity most analyses tend to shy away from the sociological study of the gory origins of contemporary social life. In contrast, this book brings the study of organised violence to the fore by providing a wide-ranging sociological analysis that links classical and contemporary theories with specific historical and geographical contexts. Topics covered include violence before modernity, warfare in the modern age, nationalism and war, war propaganda, battlefield solidarity, war and social stratification, gender and organised violence, and the new wars debate.

Sinisa Malesevic is Senior Lecturer in the School of Political Science and Sociology at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He has written and edited many books, chapters and journal articles including Ernest Gellner and Contemporary Social Thought (with Mark Haugaard, Cambridge, 2007), Identity as Ideology: Understanding Ethnicity and Nationalism (2006) and The Sociology of Ethnicity (2004).

'With its combination of theoretical acumen and historical insights, this book is a significant step forward in the reintegration of war into the sociological canon. Both students and experienced scholars will appreciate Malesevic's perspectives on how war made us who we are.' Miguel A. Centeno, Princeton University 'This is a major contribution, at once a survey of key intellectual fields (sociological theory, the history of war understood in comparative terms and an analysis of the key social variables involved) and a major piece of innovation, based on a powerful appreciation of ideological and bureaucratic development. There is no better book on the subject.' John A. Hall, McGill University 'An incisive examination of the theoretical literature on warfare and violence. Lucid and wide-ranging, this will be an invaluable guide to scholars and students.' John Hutchinson, London School of Economics and Political Science 'Malesevic ranges with authority and intelligence over the major debates concerning war in human societies past and present, arguing powerfully and provocatively for a theory centred on social organization and ideology. This is easily the best general account of the sociology of war.' Michael Mann, University of California, Los Angeles 'The Sociology of War and Violence is at once powerful social theory and excellent comparative-historical sociology. Malesevic's central claim is that sociological theories - particularly those based on ideological organization and the bureaucratization of coercion - offer a useful understanding of war, modernity and social change ... an extremely important and original book.' Canadian Journal of Sociology 'Sinisa Malesevic's comprehensive work combines an impressive collection of theoretical insights with a sweeping review of violence, warfare, and coercion throughout the ages.' Erica Chenoweth, International Relations