Avoidance and resolution of conflict in societies without central power. Socio-theoretical models based on ethnographic evidence and their relevance in archaeology

在没有中央权力的社会中避免和解决冲突。

• 批准号: 446715504
• 负责人: Privatdozent Dr. Matthias Jung
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Professur für Soziologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Familien- und Jugendsoziologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 资助国家: 德国
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/446715504?language=en
• 关键词: Avoidance; resolution; conflict; societies; without

Due to the selective nature of archaeological data, material remains are not self-explanatory. In order to avoid the projection of contemporaneous societal elements, the evaluation of ethnographical records of pre-state societies is reasonable. The project investigates ethnographies with a focus on modes of prevention and resolution of violent conflicts. Since the Mid-Nineties, prehistoric archaeology has abandoned the concept of a “pacified past” and directed itself to the study of phenomena related to conflict and violence. This change of perspective was not only prompted by spectacular discoveries like those from Talheim or the Tollense Valley but also by recent ethnological theories postulating a Hobbesian condition of hostility in societies without central power. Violent conflicts are not seen as exceptions but as an integral component of prehistoric life. The concentration on effective violence whilst neglecting averted violence results in misleading violence-biased scenarios of prehistoric life reality. Therefore, the aim of the project is to develop theoretically informed and empirically based models of the handling of violent conflicts in groups without central power. Subsequently, these models are contrasted with archaeological interpretations, narratives, and discourses. Using a comparative approach it is evaluated how groups can prevent the outbreak of violence or, if emerging, to derive solutions at different escalation levels. One focus lies on the effects of reciprocal structures, both in their positive and negative forms. The former create and maintain a variant of peaceful social relations while the latter produces mutual destructive action. Another research question is the importance of material culture in conflict prevention and resolution. Which functions of memory and visualisation can objects represent in the social memory of illiterate cultural groups? What are the practices they are used in? From a methodological point of view, the project combines a qualitative, case reconstructive research design with a large number of cases. This allows generalised statements beyond individual case studies which can lead to new theoretical models.

由于考古数据的选择性，材料遗迹并不是不言而喻的。为了避免同时代社会因素的投射，对前国家社会的民族志记录进行评估是合理的。该项目调查民族志，重点放在预防和解决暴力冲突的模式上。自九十年代中期以来，史前考古学放弃了“和平的过去”的概念，转而研究与冲突和暴力有关的现象。这种视角的改变不仅是由塔尔海姆或托伦斯山谷的那些壮观发现推动的，也是最近的民族学理论推动的，这些理论假设，在没有中央权力的社会中，存在霍布斯式的敌意。暴力冲突不被视为例外，而是史前生活的一个组成部分。专注于有效的暴力而忽视避免的暴力导致了对史前生活现实的误导性的暴力偏见的情景。因此，该项目的目的是开发在理论上知情的、以经验为基础的模式，以处理没有中央权力的团体中的暴力冲突。随后，将这些模型与考古学的解释、叙事和话语进行了对比。使用比较的方法，评估团体如何防止暴力的爆发，或者，如果出现暴力，如何在不同的升级程度上找到解决办法。一个重点在于互惠结构的影响，无论是积极的还是消极的形式。前者创造和维持一种和平的社会关系，而后者产生相互破坏的行动。另一个研究问题是物质文化在预防和解决冲突中的重要性。在文盲文化群体的社会记忆中，物体能代表哪些记忆和形象化功能？它们被用在哪些实践中？从方法论的角度来看，该项目结合了定性的、案例重建的研究设计和大量的案例。这允许超越个别案例研究的概括性陈述，这可能导致新的理论模型。