Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, and Conflict

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Academic Press, Sep 5, 2008 - Social Science - 2750 pages

The 2nd edition of Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict provides timely and useful information about antagonism and reconciliation in all contexts of public and personal life.

Building on the highly-regarded 1st edition (1999), and publishing at a time of seemingly inexorably increasing conflict and violent behaviour the world over, the Encyclopedia is an essential reference for students and scholars working in the field of peace and conflict resolution studies, and for those seeking to explore alternatives to violence and share visions and strategies for social justice and social change.

Covering topics as diverse as Arms Control, Peace Movements, Child Abuse, Folklore, Terrorism and Political Assassinations, the Encyclopedia comprehensively addresses an extensive information area in 225 multi-disciplinary, cross-referenced and authoritatively authored articles.

In his Preface to the 1st edition, Editor-in-Chief Lester Kurtz wrote: "The problem of violence poses such a monumental challenge at the end of the 20th century that it is surprising we have addressed it so inadequately. We have not made much progress in learning how to cooperate with one another more effectively or how to conduct our conflicts more peacefully. Instead, we have increased the lethality of our combat through revolutions in weapons technology and military training. The Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, and Conflict is designed to help us to take stock of our knowledge concerning these crucial phenomena."

Ten years on, the need for an authoritative and cross-disciplinary approach to the great issues of violence and peace seems greater than ever.

  • More than 200 authoritative multidisciplinary articles in a 3-volume set
  • Many brand-new articles alongside revised and updated content from the First Edition
  • Article outline and glossary of key terms at the beginning of each article
  • Entries arranged alphabetically for easy access
  • Articles written by more than 200 eminent contributors from around the world
 

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About the author (2008)

Lester R. Kurtz is professor of public sociology at George Mason University where he teaches courses on violence and nonviolence, peace and conflict, social movements, comparative sociology of religion, and global social thought. Kurtz holds a Master's in Religion from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Chicago and was previously director of Religious Studies at the University of Texas-Austin. He has lectured in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America and taught as a visiting professor at the European Peace University, the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Delhi University in India, and Tunghai University in Taiwan. Dr. Kurtz is the past chair of the Peace and Justice Studies Association as well as the Peace, War, and Social Conflict Section of the American Sociological Association, which awarded him its Robin Williams Distinguished Career Award in 2005. In 2014 he was given the Lester F. Ward Distinguished Contribution to Applied and Clinical Sociology Award by the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology. He is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute of Nanjing Massacre History and International Peace in Nanjing, Republic of China.

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