The cultural significance of interpersonal violence, with special reference to seventeenth-century Worcestershire
The historiography of early modern violence has generally focused upon the quantification of homicide over the longue durĂ©e. However, such approaches, predicated on the assumption that violence is a transhistorical phenomenon, conceal the differences between past and present discourses. This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by showing the significance violence held for contemporaries. This is achieved by locating violence within a wide cultural framework. Employing a largely qualitative methodology, the thesis elucidates the relationship seventeenth-century religious, political and physiological thought had with conceptions of violence. Drawing together existing work and utilizing a variety of primary sources, the thesis demonstrates the diverse meanings invested in violence, including the significance attributed to weapons and the parts of the body targeted. Historical research into violence has sometimes been theoretically uninformed. The thesis redresses this by engaging closely with definitions of the concept 'violence', including those developed in other disciplines. It examines and rejects the (often implicit) claim that violence is intrinsically irrational. It asserts that, as a type
Stone, Claire
HM Sociology
The cultural significance of interpersonal violence, with special reference to seventeenth-century Worcestershire. The historiography of early modern violence has generally focused upon the quantification of homicide over the longue durĂ©e. However, such approaches, predicated on the assumption that violence is a transhistorical phenomenon, conceal the differences between past and present discourses. This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by showing the significance violence held for contemporaries. This is achieved by locating violence within a wide cultural framework. Employing a largely qualitative methodology, the thesis elucidates the relationship seventeenth-century religious, political and physiological thought had with conceptions of violence. Drawing together existing work and utilizing a variety of primary sources, the thesis demonstrates the diverse meanings invested in violence, including the significance attributed to weapons and the parts of the body targeted. Historical research into violence has sometimes been theoretically uninformed. The thesis redresses this by engaging closely with definitions of the concept 'violence', including those developed in other disciplines. It examines and rejects the (often implicit) claim that violence is intrinsically irrational. It asserts that, as a type
cultural_significance interpersonal violence special_reference seventeenth_century historiography early_modern violence generally focus_upon quantification homicide longue dura however approach predicate assumption violence phenomenon conceal difference past_present discourse make_original knowledge show significance violence hold contemporary achieve locating violence within_wide cultural framework employing largely qualitative elucidate relationship seventeenth_century religious_political physiological thought conception violence drawing together exist_work utilizing variety primary_source demonstrate diverse meaning invest violence include significance attribute weapon part body target historical violence sometimes theoretically redress engage closely definition concept violence include develop discipline examines reject often implicit claim violence intrinsically irrational asserts type