Synopses & Reviews
Minor debts, derisive remarks, a fight over a parking space, butting in lineand#8212;these are the little things that nevertheless account for much of the violence in human society. But why? Roger V. Gould considers this intriguing question in
Collision of Wills. He argues that human conflict is more likely to occur in symmetrical relationshipsand#8212;among friends or social equalsand#8212;than in hierarchical ones, wherein the difference of social rank between the two individuals is already established.
This, he maintains, is because violence most often occurs when someone wants to achieve superiority or dominance over someone else, even if there is no substantive reason for doing so. In making the case for this original idea, Gould explores a diverse range of examples, including murders, blood feuds, vendettas, revolutions, and the everyday disagreements that compel people to act violently. The result is an intelligent and provocative work that restores the study of conflict to the center of social inquiry.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-193) and index.
About the Author
Roger V. Gould was a professor of sociology at Yale University and visiting scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation when he died in 2002. He wrote Insurgent Identities and edited The Rational Choice Controversy in Historical Sociology, both published by the University of Chicago Press.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Peter Bearman
1. Conflict, Honor, and Hierarchy
2. Dominance Relations
3. Strife out of Symmetry
4. Solidarity and Group Conflict
5. Conflict and Social Structure
6. Honor and the Individual
References
Index