Violence, identity and culture. Perspectives and topics in the global scenarios

The essay addresses some perspectives of analysis, elaborated and established over the past 30 years, highlighting both the cultural complexity and the multidimensionality of violence in contemporary society. In the age of globalization, the focus of the reflections is found within the relationship between violence and identity and its transformation. Concerning the relationship between violence and identity, the essay addresses the nuclear issue of the similarity between logics and practices of identity construction and logics and practices of violent action against diversity and otherness. Particular attention is given to bodily violence and social realities that are still defined as violent today due to the cultural differences between societies, individuals and groups of individuals. The main references are G. Balandier, P. Bourdieu, J. Galtung, P. Former, M. Wieviorka, R. Collins and A. Appadurai. The different conceptual definitions of violence that is direct or cultural violence, institutional or subjective, structural or symbolic, genocidal or civicidarian violence are therefore addressed in an attempt to use them to re-read phenomena and the socio-cultural dimension of violence.