Violence

In the popular misconception fostered by blockbuster action movies and best-selling thrillers – not to mention conventional explanations by social scientists – violence is easy under certain conditions, like poverty, racial or ideological hatreds, or family pathologies. Randall Collins challenges this view, arguing that violent confrontation goes against human physiological hardwiring. It is the exception, not the rule – regardless of the underlying conditions or motivations. Collins gives an explanation of violence and its dynamics, drawing upon video footage, cutting-edge forensics, and ethnography to examine violent situations up close as they actually happen.