Welcome to the Cultures of Violence project home page. Cultures of Violence originates from the Diversity within Unity series of research programmes which concentrate on issues to do with civil society, human community, conflict and belonging. In light of the important and significant inter-disciplinary research work which is being undertaken on issues connected cultures of violence, the project is now an independent research programme.

The project is multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary in nature and aims to identify and understand the prevailing extent of violence in contemporary life. It likewise aims at probing the representation of violence in media, art and literature. Violence has been part of societies purporting to unite people, e.g., totalitarian regimes. It has been no less part of societies that set great store on diversity. It remains a horrifying feature of today's world.

Among the core themes which are being explored are;

• is violence part of human nature?
• war, civil war, terrorism and the metropolis
• policies of extermination
• religion, religious institutions, and their role in curtailing or propelling violence; religious fundamentalism and violence
• institutional life - including schools and hospitals
• ethnicity, nationalism, and sub-nationalisms; racism and violence
• violence in the private domain - abuse of women and children
• violence in the public domain - the legitimation of violence, law, concepts of punishment, capital punishment
• state violence - militarism and arms competition
• market economy and globalization; poverty and violence
• violence and modernity - the role of science and technology
• youth and violence - gang violence, children soldiers, hooliganism
• can there be a culture counter to the culture of violence and how is it to be promoted?

Related themes will also be identified for development and exploration. Out of our deliberations it is anticipated that a series of related cross context research projects will develop.