Understanding Conflict and Violence

by Tim Jacoby

This book examines and interprets a wide range of approaches to the causes of violence and conflict. The causes of violence and conflict are often left untheorized, or they are discussed as an existent problem assumed to be an inevitable part of human interaction. Adopting an accessible approach, this volume presents readers with a clear understanding of the causes of violence and conflict by highlighting their evolutionary roots and illustrating them with in-depth case studies and examples. Tim Jacoby addresses the fragmented nature of the literature on conflict theory by drawing upon a wide range of disciplinary traditions, seeking to reflect the fact that international relations, history, economics, development, politics and sociology all share a long-standing interest in the study of conflict and violence and that common concerns make interdisciplinary stimulating and productive. Understanding Conflict & Violence will be of interest to students and scholars across the disciplines of international relations, history, economics, development, politics and sociology.

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2006

Reviews

[Jared Donis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to have Professor Tim Jacoby as my convener for the course ‘Conflict Analysis’. As one of the key readings for that course, this book contributed invaluable insights into understanding conflict and violence. It is an ambitious project by Professor Jacoby that presents the major theoretical and empirical discussions surrounding the concepts, and I can say that his coverage of the topics is both admirably extensive and engagingly deep.

Within 11 chapters, he brings an interdisciplinary lens through which he helps us to look at the two concepts (conflict and violence) from multiple angles. Psychology, sociology, anthropology, biology, development studies, economics are all present in his analysis. Moreover, he introduces us to many of the leading thinkers on the subjects, giving us ample opportunity to interrogate them further in our own time.

For an introductory work, I admit that I found it quite difficult to follow as it is intensely academic. It demands a lot of time to grasp the flow of the arguments, and one has to read between the lines occasionally. Hence, if anyone is interested in a sort of work that is both popular and easy to flip through, this is not your book. However, if your purpose is to gain a solid guide to the issues despite the time it takes, I recommend that you start with this.

It was worth it.
Thanks, Professor Jacoby.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

super thorough, well-cited, covers a lot of ground