Call for Papers

Call for Papers

The Psychology of Violence and the Uses of Enemies

• Aggressive and violent language in the media
• Violent and aggressive language in political discourse
• Killing in war and peace and its consequences
• Violence in Mexico and other parts of the world
• Violence in the Ancient, Medieval, and the pre-modern world
• Foreign versus domestic violence and enemy formation
• Fear and violence as political motivators
• The militarization of campus security, the police, and language
• Anti-bullying and gay-baiting movements and legislation
• The historical process of the renunciation of violence
• Ending cycles of violence
• Implications of having professional soldiers versus citizen soldiers
• The uses and threats of violence by drug cartels, gangs, kidnappers,
• paramilitary groups, and terrorists
• Apocalyptic violence such as by Aum Shinrikyo and Jim Jones
• Case studies on the use of violence to end violence in Bosnia, Kosovo, Libya, Syria, and elsewhere
• Clinical case studies on fascination with violence
• Case studies on the uses of enemies to maintain group cohesion
• The desire to arm every American by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and whether this desire is for war?
• Violence in the name of religion: Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim
• Enemy formation and violence as unresolved mourning
• The impact of the bomb and the Holocaust on modern consciousness
• Psychobiographical case studies of individuals who have devoted their lives to lessening or ending violence
• The psychic characteristics of violent individuals
• Review essays on relevant books, games, major movies, & TV shows

Deadline: October 1, 2012

Length: 500-1,500 words

Articles are welcome. A symposium paper of up to 3,000 words will be accepted by August 20th. Please send submissions to Peter Petschauer at .

Page 247