Violência difusa, medo e insegurança: as marcas recentes da crueldade

Abstract

The debate on violence permeates all social spaces, with a range of differente impacts on people, universities, and other social, poltical and economic institutions, as well as communications media. The issue thus poses a challenge to specialists looking to interpret the new configurations of this phenomenon, rooted in large-scale manifestations and practices classified as violent. From the theoretical-methodological viewpoint, the article focuses on the need to socially and culturally construct these phenomena in studies of violence and social conflicts, recognizing that the issue is intensely affected by fluctuations in public opinion and the demands of society. I examine various aspects of the topic, supported or inspired by the debates taking place in Brazil, and incorporating some reflections already initiated by myself in other works.