Is violence truly a natural form of human behavior? Leading American sociologist Randall Collins's book challenges this common view and argues that, contrary to war propaganda or Hollywood action films, violence does not come easily to humans. His research immerses readers in the complex and murky worlds of human aggression—from domestic violence and school bullying to robberies, violent sports, and armed conflict. Collins explores the similarities and differences between these diverse situations of violence to demonstrate how specific circumstances shape the emotions and actions of those engaged in confrontation. Drawing on video recordings, forensic science, and ethnography, the author analyzes the mechanisms and structures of social interactions that underlie violence and contrasts his approach with the fruitless search for psychological types supposedly predisposed to such behavior.
Randall Collins is a sociologist and philosopher, Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania.