Thomas J. Scheff

Suzanne M. Retzinger

What causes violence? Thomas Scheff and Suzanne Retzinger deftly explore this age-old question. What emerges is an extraordinarily innovative explanation that gives fresh hope for reducing physical and emotional violence in the world and in our times. The authors provide remarkable new insights into the sources of destructive conflict. They explore human interaction in psychotherapy sessions, marital quarrels, TV game shows, and high politics. Their original interpretation of a classic work of fiction, Goethe's The Sufferings of Young Werther, and case studies of Hitler and his master architect, Albert Speer, offer additional, powerful illustrations of their theory: violence arises from the denial of emotions particularly from the denial of shame and from hidden alienation in relationships. Researchers in violence, psychotherapists, and criminal justice professionals will welcome this thoughtful inquiry that integrates different disciplines and spans topics from alienation and conscience building to the hidden world of gesture, implication, and emotion. Scheff and Retzinger's examples and recommendations furnish a practical blueprint for understanding and reducing physical and emotional violence at both the interpersonal and societal levels. Social and behavioral scientists will be stimulated by the novel approach to theory and method in this work. It also has practical implications for the fields of psychotherapy, education, criminal justice, and international relations.

Shame and Rage in Destructive Conflicts

Emotions and Violence

Broken family bonds can be one of the most intense sources of conflict. This book - which provides vital insights into the dynamics of family and other forms of violence - explores the damage caused to familial and social bonds by escalating feelings of shame during marital quarrels. Theories and research from large-scale conflict, marital dispute and communication processes are reviewed and provide a background for Retzinger's new integrative theory, which focuses on social bonds. The theory is applied to four case studies of marital quarrels in order to advance understanding of the escalation and resolution of conflict. The book includes a description of an intensive case study method for analyzing discourse and provides

Suzanne M. Retzinger

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