TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2013//
TI  - Mark of Cain: Shame, desire and violence
JO  - European journal of social theory
A1  - Ray, Larry
SP  - 292
EP  - 309
VL  - 16
IS  - 3
N2  - Violence presents a paradox. There is evidence that violence is universal in all in human societies. However, in writing mostly from the standpoint of relatively peaceful social spaces, violence often appears exceptional, and a product of the breakdown of integrating social institutions and conventions. Norbert Elias persuasively identified growing thresholds of repugnance towards violence with the transition to modernity, although understanding the balance between formalization and informalization poses some critical questions about his thesis. The discussion begins with these as a means of opening a broader discussion of theories of violence which are developed through a critical analysis of Girard's and Gans' theories. It is argued that these may offer a way of addressing the informalization problem in a context of mimetic consumption desires in a context of apparent but false equalization in contemporary societies.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1368-4310
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1368431013476536
ID  - ref1
ER  -