Theft of an Idol Text and Context in the Representation of Collective Violence

As collective violence erupts in many regions throughout the world, we often hear media reports that link the outbreaks to age-old ethnic or religious hostilities, thereby freeing the state from responsibility. Through five case studies of both rural and urban public violence, political scientist Paul Brass shows that government and the media often select and focus most on those that support existing relations of power in state and society.