The Concept of Structural Violence - Literature review Example

Structural Violence Structural Violence The concept of social suffering or structural violence s back to the early 18th century when the injustice amongst the slaves was seen to be prevalent. The terms root from the complexities of harm which can be either physical or mental in nature. Structural violence can be seen in different forms all over the world. Researchers have analyzed the different forms of violence as they have been practiced against the children all over the world. The cultural factors, the class factors, the state factors and the motherhood factors have all been analyzed by different researchers with regard to the concept of structural violence. It can be seen that structural violence exists in different forms today and the reasons behind it can be quite different altogether. Many people are currently using rituals as a defence mechanism for their conducted maltreatment against the children. This however is included in the definition of structural violence that is being practiced all over the world. Structural violence can only be removed with the help of the whole society and this can only be achieved if the deeper roots of the problem are recognized. This essay would further focus on structural violence against children and how it has been conceptualized over the years. Structural violence has roots deep amongst the classes to which a child belongs in this world. It has been co-related with the aspects of wealth and poverty so as to bring out a combination against the term. According to Goldstein (1999), structural violence primarily affects the impoverished people because of which they are not able to live their childhood as the wealthy children would. Goldstein believes that the paradigm of structural violence arises when children are forced to stay out of their homes in their tender ages. She cites an incident where a child is made to polish another childs shoes for some coins in the suburbs of Brazil. This incident clearly shows that the child who is polishing the shoes did not deserve to have such a future but he was entitled to have it because of the background he came with in this world. She believes that structural violence has made its way in the society upon children because parents may have previously lived under the same impoverished conditions which made them strict and harder on their children. Goldstein cites another incident where Graca, a struggling woman, kicks out one of her daughter out on the streets only because she disobeyed her mother. But it is later on pointed out that Graca had lived in impoverished conditions and in order to run a household she was supposed to be hard on the children she had to take care of. It becomes rather clear that structural violence is a paradigm of factors which accounts for many incidents that may occur after realizing the situation Graca in. It can be compared to a rich household, in which individuals do not have to take care about minor things such as disobedience. It becomes almost necessary for poor people to maintain obedience in order to run a household and thus the term structural violence comes into play (Goldstein 1999). Structural violence also encompasses the fatal beatings that are given to the children which lead to the death of these children respectively. A study conducted by Korbin (1999) revolves around structural violence which includes fatal treatment of the children by their parents. This fatal treatment is a part of social violence amongst the children and includes factors such as motherhood. Social violence by mothers is not an easy concept and Korbin puts down several factors that lead to such an event by the mothers who claim that they are "good mothers". Mothers inflict injuries on their children because they are prone to injure their children because of some obssessive thought. This brings a new concept to social or structural violence as the primary caretakers of these children are the ones who are the perpetrators. It becomes hard for the anthropologists to gather research on these parents as they are not willing to provide a definitive answer to the cause of the injuries. Korbin puts forward a solution for this type of structural violence which relates to the social networks of these parents. According to him, the society as a whole should be held responsible and a strategy should be mapped out so as to counter such problems. The whole society should be involved so that the environment becomes better and parents stop afflicting their children respectively. The cases that were analyzed by Korbin clearly show that the environment has a role to play in the actions of the mothers who were involved in the fatal maltreatment of children. The environment here refers to the people around the mothers who were constantly maltreating their child accordingly (Korbin 1999). Structural violence not only roots in the settings of households but it can also be found in battle struck areas or a violent neighbourhood. An example of Africa can be taken here where children have gone to different extents of violence. People with a history of violence are prone to such maltreatment by their elders when it comes to justice. Perry (2009) researched on different areas of Africa and found that children were excessively going beyond limits. These children were found to burn out a house which nearly killed a man. However, justice came underway and the district authorities stripped these children naked in front of people and beat them. At this point, one can argue if this can be conceptualized under the heading of social violence against children or not. It can be said that this does not qualify the definition of social violence as the authorities went to such an extent of punishment only because of the actions of the children. The geography and culture can surely come into play when defining the concept of structural violence amongst the children (Perry 2009; Korbin 2003). In another research it was found that different rituals are practiced in different cultures that may bring upon harm to the child. But this harm is not considered in the definition of structural violence as defined by the anthropologists. These rituals are considered to be the norm for the culture they are embedded in but these are being used wrongly by many individuals. Individuals who tend to use culture as an excuse for maltreatment of children fall in the category of structural violence. Lastly structural violence also roots from the problems that may actually start because of the actions that their parents took. Emigration or wars that take place can unconsciously lead the children into a state of maltreatment by the people of society. This again is considered in the definition of structural violence as people do not care about the children who are being harmed (Korbin 2003). In conclusion one can understand that structural violence is a paradigm of different factors and it can be conceptualized only if certain factors are taken into notice. Cultural norms should be demarcated from the structural violence itself as people are wrongly using it as a factor to practice maltreatment. Mothers should be taught the proper way of parenting which should not involve any sort of physical or mental abuse to the child. Children should be spared the agony of battles when they are subject to them. The concept of structural violence can be said to be broadening every day as the anthropologists are researching upon the topic. However, in the current state it can be said that a multitude of factors encompass the whole aspect of violence against the children. References Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Goldstein, D. M. (July 01, 1999). Nothing bad intended: child discipline, punishment, and survival in a shantytown in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Violence and Abuse Abstracts, 5, 3.) Korbin, J. E. (July 01, 1999). "Good mothers," "babykillers," and fatal child maltreatment.Violence and Abuse Abstracts, 5, 3.) Korbin, J. E. (January 01, 2003). Children, childhoods, and violence. Annual Review of Anthropology, 32, 431-446. PERRY, DONNA. L. (February 01, 2009). FATHERS, SONS, AND THE STATE: Discipline and Punishment in a Wolof Hinterland. Cultural Anthropology, 24, 1, 33-67. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More