Social violence in Canada : theoretical frameworks and statistical implications

Abstract

This project will be comprised of two chapters. The first section will include a comprehensive literature review component defining violence, exploring the current theoretical explanations of violence, as well as coming up with a better way to categorize causal factors and the role of institutions. The triad of social violence is proposed as a more effective theoretical discourse towards effectual social policy. The first section is intended to establish a theoretical link between naturally occurring social violence and social indicators such as poverty and population increases. In section two, I seek to illustrate the argument that declining violent crime rates in Canada are unnatural. Attitudes and public perceptions of the justice system will be statistically analyzed using the data from the General Social Survey on victimization. The relationship between deteriorating attitudes and declines in reported violence are then discussed in greater detail.