Linking poverty and violence: the South African scenario

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Periodical article

Title:	Linking poverty and violence: the South African scenario
Author:	Muller, Ampie
Year:	2013
Periodical:	African Journal on Conflict Resolution (ISSN 1562-6997)
Volume:	13
Issue:	3
Pages:	45-63
Language:	English
Geographic term:	South Africa
Subjects:	violence poverty informal settlements social research
External link:	https://www.accord.org.za/ajcr-issues/%ef%bf%bclinking-poverty-and-violence/
Abstract:	The possible and potential links between poverty and violence in South Africa are explored, in order to gain a deeper insight into their intrinsic meaning and the circularity of linkage between the two. To do so, the author: revisits the definitions of poverty and violence; emphasizes the extremely important role 'human needs' play in both poverty and violence; examines the phenomenon of the 'behavioural sink', which refers to the negative effect of overcrowding on humans as biological beings; establishes whether theories on male violence offer insight into the problem; and, attempts to understand how a culture of violence might come into being. In present-day South Africa individual or group violence in townships and 'shanty-towns' is very common. It seems as if violence has become the power of the powerless. There is an urgent need for the scientific study of the causes and their inter-relationships as part of a wider effort to address this serious problem. Bibliogr., sum. [ASC Leiden abstract]