CONTEMPORARY CASE FOR VIOLENCE (FROM CIVIL VIOLENCE AND THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM - PART 1 - THE SCOPE OF CIVIL VIOLENCE, 1971 - SEE NCJ-63431)

• NCJ Number: 63433
• Author(s): A A MAZRUI
• Date Published: 1971
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Institute for Strategic Studies
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

TRANSFORMATIVE AND INTEGRATIVE FUNCTIONS OF VIOLENCE ARE ANALYZED IN THE CONTEXT OF CLASS STRUGGLE AND IMPERIALISM, AND VIOLENCE IS SEEN AS AN EFFECT, MORE OFTEN THAN CAUSE, OF OTHER SOCIAL FACTORS.

Abstract

TRANSFORMATIVE FUNCTIONS OF VIOLENCE, WHERE VIOLENCE HELPS TO BRING ABOUT SUDDEN OR RAPID SYSTEMIC CHANGE, IS COMPARED TO INTEGRATIVE VIOLENCE WHERE CHANGE IS ACCOMPLISHED SLOWLY AND CAN TAKE SEVERAL GENERATIONS. IMPERIALISM IS SEEN AS FROZEN WARFARE, AN EXTERNALIZED CIVIL WAR, WHEREAS IMPERIAL RETREAT PRODUCES A NEW RESURGENCE OF DOMESTIC ETHNIC TENSIONS. HIJACKING AND THE ABDUCTION OF DIPLOMATS ARE TECHNIQUES OF INTERNATIONALIZING LOCAL ISSUES OR EMBARRASSING LOCAL TYRANTS, AND AERIAL TERRORISM IS SYMBOLIC OF THE COMMUNICATIONS REVOLUTION AND THE CONVERSION OF THE WORLD INTO A GLOBAL VILLAGE. ALTHOUGH INTERNAL CONFLICT WITHIN A COUNTRY IS INHERENTLY DISINTEGRATIVE, PARADOXICALLY NATIONAL INTEGRATION IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT INTERNAL CONFLICT. THE FOUR STATES OF THIS CONFLICT--COEXISTENCE, CONTACT, COMPROMISE, AND COALESCENCE--ARE APPLICABLE TO REGIONAL AS WELL AS NATIONAL INTEGRATION. THUS VIOLENCE HAS CRITICAL FUNCTIONS NOT ONLY REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE BUT ALSO IN GRADUAL AND EVOLUTIONARY SOCIAL MUTATION. (MJW)