Future agendas for research on violent crime: The challenge to history from evolutionary psychology (original) (raw)

A Change of Perspective: Integrating Evolutionary Psychology into the Historiography of Violence

British Journal of Criminology (2011) 51 (3): 479-498., 2011

Despite lively debates in many related fields about whether biological and evolutionary approaches can contribute to social and cultural investigations of human behaviour, historians have rarely confronted this issue directly. The historiography of violence is a partial exception, but there has been relatively little interdisciplinary exchange on topics central to both historical and natural-science analyses. Nevertheless, historians of violence have relied upon two concepts—‘social roles’ and ‘social construction’—that have been subject to constructive critique and revision from Darwinian perspectives. This article concludes by arguing that greater incorporation of evolutionary psychological perspectives and approaches into social and cultural analyses of violence (whether historical or contemporary) has much to contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon of physical aggression.

The Limits of Culture? Society, Evolutionary Psychology and the History of Violence

Cultural and Social History 4, no. 1 2007: 95-114 (+Responses), 2007

Recent debates about the meaning and role of cultural history have focused on the relationship between 'culture' and 'society'. Some have taken this opportunity to position cultural history as a site of resistance to 'biological' explanations of human behaviour. In contrast, this article argues that 'biological' methodologies -particularly the perspectives of evolutionary psychology -can usefully contribute to the historical understanding of culture and social development. To this end, it outlines the fundamentals of Darwinist psychology, suggests options for interdisciplinary cooperation and uses the topic of interpersonal violence to explore the potential for uniting cultural, social and evolutionary psychological methodologies.

The Evolutionary Psychology of Violence

This paper reviews theory and research on the evolutionary psychology of violence. First, I examine evidence suggesting that humans have experienced an evolutionary history of violence. Next, I discuss violence as a context-sensitive strategy that might have provided benefits to our ancestors under certain circumstances. I then focus on the two most common forms of violence that plague humans —violence over status contests and intimate partner violence— outlining psychological mechanisms involved in each. Finally, I suggest that greater progress will be made by shifting the study from contexts to mechanisms.

Evolutionary Perspectives on Violence, Homicide, and War

The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Perspectives on Violence, Homicide, and War, 2012

We review and discuss the evolutionary psychological literature on violence, homicide, and war in humans and nonhumans, and in doing so we argue that an evolutionary perspective can substantially enhance our understanding of these behaviors. We provide a brief primer on evolutionary psychology, describing basic tenets of the field. The theories of sexual selection and parental investment are explained and subsequently used to highlight the evolutionary logic underlying the use of violence by humans and other animals. Our ...

Origins of Violence

In a society where violence is quickly becoming a growing problem, many psychologists, criminologists and even sociologists have long debated the issue of genetics and violence. They have scrambled to provide a thorough yet simple answer to the question “Is the tendency for violence genetic?” Scientifically, we do have the capacity to scan the brain and examine genetic material so it’s no wonder that there are indeed several ways by which science, by way of research, can determine if an individual is genetically pre-disposed to violence, thus increasing the likelihood that s/he will become more violent in comparison to those who are not. Over the decades, researchers have conducted several landmark studies that helped to reveal the role of certain genes that could result in genetic disposition towards extreme violence. One in particular, Monoamine Oxidase-A, has been identified as a precursor to violent behavior and antisocial behavior among humans (Moosajee, 2003). Likewise, head scans of individuals with violent histories reveal a stark difference in brain activity between these individuals’ prefrontal cortex as compared to the brain scans of the rest of the population (Raine, 2002). This points to strong evidence of genetic predisposition to crime among some individuals.

Why can't we all just get along? Evolutionary perspectives on violence, homicide, and war

2012

We review and discuss the evolutionary psychological literature on violence, homicide, and war in humans and non-humans, and in doing so argue that an evolutionary perspective can substantially enhance our understanding of these behaviors. We provide a brief primer on evolutionary psychology, describing the basic tenets of the field. The theories of sexual selection and parental investment are explained and subsequently used to highlight the evolutionary logic underlying the use of violence by humans and other animals. Our examination of violent behavior begins with a focus on non-human animals, reviewing the different contexts in which violence occurs and discussing how an evolutionary perspective can explain why it occurs in these contexts. We then examine violence in humans and illustrate the similarities and differences between human and non-human violence. Finally, we summarize what an evolutionary perspective can offer in terms of understanding violence, homicide, and war, and...

Evolution and the Prevention of Violent Crime

Psychology, 2011

This paper suggests how violence prevention can be better informed by embracing an evolutionary approach to understanding and preventing violent crime. Here, ethical crime control through an evolutionary lens is considered and speculation is offered as to what an evolution-evidenced crime reduction programme might look like. The paper begins with an outline of the current landscape of crime prevention scholarship within criminology and presents some possible points of contact with actual or possible violence reduction practice, including child homicide and violence against women. The paper concludes with suggestions for an ethical research agenda for reducing violence, whereby it is hoped that an audience of open-minded criminologists and diverse students of evolution may lend a hand in increasing the sophistication of the criminological study of violence prevention.

How old is human brutality? On the structural origins of violence.

Common Knowledge 22 (1): 81-104, 2016

To understand in any depth contemporary instances of human brutality, it is necessary to explore the long-term historical dynamics of the human relationship with violence. Given the paucity of evidence, much of the scholarship remains sharply divided over the question, How old is human violence? Despite disagreements, where some scholars regard humans as intrinsically violent and others emphasize their nonviolent characteristics, there is a pronounced tendency to rely, from both of these perspectives, on a simple naturalist epistemology. What is needed, at this stage of the controversy, is an alternative interpretation focusing on the structural foundations of violent action. If, instead of tracing violent (or nonviolent) behavior to "human nature," we assume that the origins of violence are linked to the rise and proliferation of complex social organizations, we may come to more far-reaching and significant conclusions.