Human Nature Review 2002 Volume 2: 466-468 ( 18 October )
URL of this document http://human-nature.com/nibbs/02/ramirez.html
Book Review
Cross-Cultural Approaches to Research on Aggression and Reconciliation
Edited by J. Martin Ramirez and Deborah S. Richardson
New York: Nova Science, 2001. ISBN: 1590330323
Reviewed by Nigel Hunt, Senior Lecturer, Psychology Division, Nottingham Trent
University, Burton Street, Nottingham, NG1 4BU, United Kingdom.
The study of aggression has a long and turbulent history within psychology. The
study of reconciliation has only taken place more recently. Most cases of
aggression within a community (human or animal) end with reconciliation. It is
essential to normalise relations as quickly as possible. This applies to both
smaller communities (e.g. children in a school) and larger communities (e.g.
nations).
This book arose out of the 15th International Colloquium on Brain and
Aggression held near Madrid in 2000. Academics from 14 countries took part,
mainly from Europe and the USA, along with participants from South Africa,
Russia and the Middle East. The Preface states that the UNESCO-adopted Seville
Statement on Violence (1986) refuted the notion that human aggression, violence
and war are inevitable. The Colloquium took the worthy view that we should not
be "willing to accept violence because of mistaken notions that it is
unavoidable" (p xii). While this is an excellent ideal, it fails to recognise
the propensities of man, as evidenced by a wide range of studies from
psychology and biology. The book also expounds a cross-cultural perspective,
but is largely limited to aggression and reconciliation in Europe, North
America, and the Middle East; and so has some limitations regarding the types
of human society studied.
Full text
http://human-nature.com/nibbs/02/ramirez.html
Cross-Cultural Approaches to Research on Aggression and Reconciliation
by J. Martin Ramirez, Deborah S. Richardson
Nova Science Publishers, Inc.; ISBN: 1590330323; (September 2001)
AMAZON - US
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590330323/darwinanddarwini/
AMAZON - UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590330323/humannaturecom/
Summary:
Violence concerns humans. Preparing responsible citizens demands
attention to the causes and consequences of violent action. But reducing and
preventing violence requires an understanding of the complexity of the
phenomenon and recognition of its multiple causes. A better knowledge of
aggression is not only a window into an understanding of humanity, but it also
informs us that violence involves an intensely emotional experience on the
parts of perpetrators, victims, and witnesses. Perceived cultural differences
are often cited as the reason for armed conflict and war. This volume examines
violence in a cross-cultural vein, allowing for an exploration of the different
causes and contexts for violence.
Table of Contents:
TOC: Theoretical Issues: Dynamic social impact theory predicts
regional variation in, and the development of social representations of,
aggression (Deborah S. Richardson, University of Georgia, USA and Bibb Latané,
SSoftcoverI, USA); Social representations and aggression: On culture and the
psychology of violence (Desmond Painter, Rhodes University, South Africa);
Violent crime, social stress and solidarity in Israel: The role of education
(Simha F. Landau The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel); Definitions of
international aggression: Lessons for cross-cultural research (Graham Kemp,
Lentz Foundation, England); Cross-National Comparisons: Moral approval of
aggressive acts by urban students: A cross-national study on four continents
(J. Martíin Ramirez Universidad Complutense Madrid, Spain); Beliefs about and
experience with aggression in the United States and France (Deborah S.
Richardson University of Georgia, USA and Pascal Huguet, Université Blaise
Pascal, France); Anger proneness in Japanese and Spanish students (J. Martín
Ramirez, Universidad Complutense Madrid, Spain; Takehiro Fujihara, Kwansei
Gakuin, Japan; Stephanie van Goozen, Academisch Ziekenhuis, Netherlands; and
Carmen Santisteban, Universidad Complutense Madrid, Spain); Direct and indirect
aggression in women: A comparison between South African and Spanish university
students (Wilhelmina H. Theron, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa;
Deidre D. Matthee, Rhodes University, South Africa; Henry R. Steel, University
of Stellenbosch, South Africa; and J. Martín Ramirez Universidad Complutense
Madrid, Spain); Aggression, victimization and sociometric status: Findings from
Finland, Israel, Italy and Poland (Kaj Björkqvist and Karen Österman, Åbo
Akademi University, Finland); Conflict and Reconciliation: Is violence getting
too much attention? Cross-cultural findings on the ways people deal with
conflict (Douglas P. Fry Åbo, Akademi University, Finland); Myths about
preindustrial war: Possible lessons for peace from worldwide cross-cultural
research (Melvin Ember and Carol R. Ember, Yale University, USA);
Reconciliation after conflict: Ethological analysis of post-conflict
interactions in Kalmyk children (Marina L. Butovskaya, Russian Academy of
Sciences); The cross-cultural significance of empathy as an instrument to
prevent aggression (Camilla Pagani, National Research Council, Italy);
Conclusion: Method and theory in cross-cultural studies of aggression (John
Archer, University of Central Lancashire, England); Appendix: Biographies;
Index
