Vortrag Johan Galtung

04. Juni 2007 |
Johan Galtung ist einer der Gründer der Friedens- und Konfliktforschung. Im Rahmen der Vortragsreihe Macht, Herrschaft und Gewalt an der Uni Fribourg hält er einen Vortrag zu struktureller Gewalt.

Is the deep structure in our mind, working its way into reality through speech and action; is it "out there" working its way into us through observation; or is that a chicken-egg problem? Let us cut that knot by simply assuming that there are two deep, even primordial structures, both written in the language of geometry: the pyramid and the circle. Like decision-making from above, and from togetherness. Two structural archetypes have been identified, the pyramid or alpha structure, and the wheel or beta structure. Alpha is vertical and can connect large numbers of elements interacting; beta is horizontal. In social systems the actors are human beings; in world systems states or nations. The alpha pyramid organizes humans hierarchically in large organizations, bureaucracies, corporations, and the beta wheel horizontally in kinship, friendship and neighborhood groups. Alpha and beta can be combined in four ways, also indicative of four very different types of structural violence: hierarchy, polyarchy, anarchy, and equiarchy.

Ort: Universtität Fribourg, Fribourg