Violence in Canada: Sociopolitical Perspectives 1st edition

Publisher Marketing: Many people consider Canada, particularly in comparison to its southern cousin, as a "peaceable kingdom." However, as the historical record demonstrates, Canadians have never been a thoroughly non-violent people. "Violence in Canada" highlights from an interdisciplinary perspective the major areas and contexts where violence takes place. Consisting of thirteen contributions, the book forms an indispensable guide to the subject. All of the authors are experts in their field, many with international reputations, and are drawn from the fields of sociology, political science, history, and criminology. The foreword by Ted Robert Gurr, author of "Violence in America," is followed by an historical analysis of violence on the Canadian western frontier. Other scholars describe contemporary violence: by and against indigenous peoples, women, children, and the elderly; in labor-related disputes; homicide; police and prison violence; terrorism; and discuss government responses and policy implications. Each chapter specifically addresses the sociological and political dimensions of violence. The authors make ample use of statistics and empirical research. Jeffrey Ian Ross's introduction outlines the sociopolitical dynamics of violence, and his summary chapter offers directions for future research. When the book was first published in 1995 it was widely praised by scholarly journals and has since become a standard text in the study of violence and modern Canadian cultural studies. The book is all the more valuable as its new introduction places its findings in the context of research that has been produced since the original publication. "Violence in Canada" will be of interest to sociologists, criminologists, and political scientists. Jeffrey Ian Ross is an associate professor in the Division of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Social Policy and fellow with the Center for Comparative and International Law, University of Baltimore. His work has appeared in many academic journals and chapters in academic texts, as well as articles in popular magazines in Canada and the United States. He is the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of eight books. Ted Robert Gurr is Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland. Among his books are "Why Men Rebel" and "Violence in America."

Contributor Bio:  Ross, P. Stewart Stewart Stewart Michael Stewart Michael Michael Michael P. JoAnn Ross has published 90 novels, has been published in 26 countries, and is a member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of bestselling authors. She has won several writing awards, including being named Storyteller of the Year by "Romantic Times." Her work has been excerpted in "Cosmopolitan" and featured by the Doubleday and Literary Guild book clubs. With her husband and two fuzzy little dogs, she divides her time between the mountains of East Tennessee and the coastal lowlands of South Carolina. Visit JoAnn on the Web to subscribe to her electronic newsletter, at www.joannross.com. Contributor Bio:  Ross, Jeffrey Ian Jeffrey Ian Ross is associate professor in the School of Criminal Justice and a research fellow of the Center for International and Comparative Law at the University of Baltimore. He is the author, coauthor, editor, or coeditor of numerous books, including, most recently, "The Globalization of Supermax Prisons". Contributor Bio:  Gurr, Ted Robert Ted Robert Gurr is distinguished professor at the University of Maryland and director of the Minorities at Risk project at the university's Center for International Development and Conflict Management. He has written or edited eighteen books and monographs, including "Minorities at Risk: A Global View of Ethnopolitical Conflicts" (USIP Press). Contributor Bio:  Ross, Jeffrey Jeffrey Ross is the current New York Friars' Club Roastmaster General and was a roaster for Comedy Central's Roast of Pamela Anderson in 2005. Ross has appeared on television shows, such as The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and many others. He's also a regular on The Opie and Anthony Show and has also appeared on HBO's Six Feet Under and Showtime's Weeds. In film, he has appeared in Stuck on You and The Aristocrats. His first hour-long Comedy Central special No Offense: Life from New Jersey aired August 2008. Jeffrey Ross, the meanest man in comedy and "one man verbal assault unit" (MTV), offers anecdotes and deconstructs the makings of a great roast--based on his own career as the Friars' Club Roastmaster General. 21