Elsevier

Aggression and Violent Behavior

Volume 13, Issue 1, January–February 2008, Pages 45-59
Aggression and Violent Behavior

Micro–macro dimensions of the Bosnian genocides: The circumplex model and violentization theory

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2007.09.001Get rights and content

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine accounts of the Bosnian genocides by applying Lonnie Athens' violentization theory [Athens, L. (2003). Violentization in larger social context. In L. Athens & J.T. Ulmer (Eds.), Violent acts and violentization: assessing, applying, and developing Lonnie Athens' theories (pp. 1–41). Boston: Elsevier Science] and the circumplex theory from family therapy [Olson, D.H. (1995). Family systems: Understanding your roots. In R.D. Day, K.R. Gilbert, B.H. Settles, & W.R. Burr (Eds.), Research and theory in family science (pp. 131–153). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole., Olson, D.H. (2000). Clinical Rating Scale (CRS) for the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems [Brochure]. Minneapolis: Life Innovations]. Following Winton's [Winton M.A. (2005). A circumplex model of genocide. In C. Gabrielle Salfati (Ed.). Homicide research: Past, present and future: Proceedings of the 2005 Meeting of the Homicide Research Working Group (pp. 47–56). Chicago: HRWG., Winton, M.A. (2007). Macro-micro dimensions of genocide: the circumplex model meets violentization theory. Manuscript submitted for publication] model, both structural characteristics of Balkan society (using the circumplex model) and the agency factors of perpetrator actors (using violentization theory) are consistent with the data. Suggestions for further research adding a comparative approach are addressed.

Section snippets

The circumplex model

Borrowed from family therapy, the circumplex model focuses on cohesion, flexibility, and communication (Olson, 1995, Olson, 2000, Olson and DeFrain, 1997). The primary assumption of the model is that balanced families function better than unbalanced ones. Families with high (enmeshed) or low (disengaged) levels of family cohesion are more likely to present with family pathology, while families with high (chaotic) or low (rigid) levels of flexibility are also at increased risk. It is at these

Methods

We selected texts that provided information about the social conditions and the actions of perpetrators during the Bosnian genocides. We collected data from court transcripts, professional research reports, human rights reports, and books. We could only find two studies that that linked violentization theory to genocide (Rhodes, 2002, Winton, submitted for publication) and one linking genocide to the circumplex model (Winton, 2005). Content analytic procedures were used to analyze how genocidal

Bringing up the past to venture into the genocidal future

Brutalization involves teaching and demonstrating violent behavior while defiance entails the development of a violence oriented belief system. To prepare for violent behavior, the Serbian government evoked memories of earlier (1300's, 1500's, and 1940's) historical cases of violence and victimization to construct a current need for nationalism and protection. This led to bringing ancient conflicts to the present, evoking current fears based on the past, and provoking actions to perceived

Discussion and conclusions

The purpose of this study was to determine if the circumplex model and violentization theory apply to the Bosnian genocides. This research involved analyzing both micro and macro dimensions and the structural and agency components of the genocides. The findings paralleled those found by Winton (submitted for publication) on the Rwandan genocide.

The perpetrator groups became more violent as they went through the violentization process within a society that transformed into a rigidly and enmeshed

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