Conceptualizing violence for health and medical geography. (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: DeVerteuil, Geoffrey
• Is Part Of: Social science & medicine. Volume 133(2015)
• Page Start: 216
• Page End: 222
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: Violence -- Health geography -- Medical geography -- Public health -- Substance abuse -- Mental health; Social medicine -- Periodicals; Medical anthropology -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine sociale -- Périodiques; Anthropologie médicale -- Périodiques; Santé publique -- Périodiques; Psychologie -- Périodiques; Médecine -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 362.105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.01.018
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0277-9536

Abstract

Abstract: Despite the fact that violence is a major threat to public health, the term itself is rarely considered as a phenomenon unto itself, and rarely figures explicitly in work by health and medical geographers. In response, I propose a definitionally and conceptually more robust approach to violence using a tripartite frame (interpersonal violence, structural violence, mass intentional violence) and suggest critical interventions through which to apply this more explicit and conceptually more robust approach: violence and embodiment via substance abuse in health geography, and structural violence via mental illness in medical geography. Highlights: Provides a definitionally and conceptually robust understanding of violence. Applies this more robust understanding of violence to examples in health and medical geography. Argues that violence can be studied in its own right.