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 Culture Of HonorThe Psychology Of Violence In The Southby Richard E Nisbett, Dov Cohen Mar 14, 1996
DescriptionIn the United States, the homicide rate in the South is consistently higher than the rate in the North. In this brilliantly argued book, Richard Nisbett and Dov Cohen use this fact as a starting point for an exploration of the underlying reasons for violence. According to Nisbett and Cohen, the increased tendency of white southerners to commit certain kinds of violence is not due to socioeconomic class, population density, the legacy of slavery, or the heat of the South; it is the result of a culture of honor in which a man’s reputation is central to his economic survival. Working from historical, survey, social policy, and experimental data, the authors show that in the South it is more acceptable to be violent in response to an insult, in order to protect home and property, and to aid in socializing children. These values are reflected not only in what southerners say, but also in the institutional practices of the South, the actions of Southerners, and their physiological responses to perceived affronts. In this lively and intriguing account, the authors combine bold theory and careful methodology to reveal a set of central beliefs that can contribute to increased violence. More broadly, they show us the interaction between culture, economics, and individual behavior. This engaging study will be of interest to students, educated lay readers, and scholars. Reviews“This brief but impressive book … is a model and a challenge.… Sure to be a landmark in the study of cultural effects.” “Culture of Honor makes a compelling case that there is something about Southernness itself that accounts for the link between region and violence.… The authors have also conducted an ingenious and intriguing series of social-psychological experiments.… This is some of the best evidence ever assembled on the violent proclivities of Southerners and a formidable challenge to the many scholars…who have pooh-poohed the ‘regional subculture of violence’ thesis.” “Nisbett and Cohen have produced a well-written and carefully argued monograph on the cultural underpinnings of violence in the contemporary South.… Impressive use of diverse data sources and methods.… Nisbett and Cohen effectively shift the burden of proof to those who would deny any meaningful differences between regions in cultural orientations related to interpersonal violence.” “Anyone concerned with violence must read this book. So should every Southerner and anyone interested in the connections between psychology and culture. The explanations offered by Nisbett and Cohen will stimulate an important controversy, but the evidence they have generated is incontrovertible: Aspects of Southern culture have psychological effects that result in high rates of homicidal violence.” “Nisbett and Cohen have moved the discussion of Southern violence to an entirely new level. In particular, their fascinating experimental results have implications that go far beyond anything done on this subject before.” “Nisbett and Cohen make the highly original and provocative claim that a culture of honor exists in the southern United States and trace the far-reaching effects of this culture not only in increasing rates of violent crime but in affecting interpersonal interaction, social attitudes, political behavior, and public policy.… A pathbreaking contribution to cultural psychology.” “A superb example of the use of multiple methods (historical, archival, controlled laboratory experimental, field experimental, survey, physiological) to describe and validate a cultural pattern.” “Nisbett and Cohen’s book is a methodological landmark in the study of culture.” Selling TerritoryWorld |
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