Overwhelming Terror

Love, Fear, Peace, and Violence among Semai of Malaysia

Nonfiction, History, Asian, Southeast Asia, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology, Political Science
Cover of the book Overwhelming Terror by Robert Knox Dentan, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Robert Knox Dentan ISBN: 9780742557284
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Publication: December 16, 2008
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Language: English
Author: Robert Knox Dentan
ISBN: 9780742557284
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Publication: December 16, 2008
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Language: English

This powerful ethnography of a people believed to be the least violent in the world explores how they maintain peaceful relations even under the most dire circumstances. Robert Knox Dentan, the world's foremost scholar of Semai, brings its members vividly to life. His book includes translations of their poetry, dramatized accounts of particular events, and extensive quotations from a wide range of individuals. In a clear, gripping, sometimes novelistic style, Dentan introduces the reader to tortured Nakhoda; beautiful, stubborn Kliy; witty, ironic Grcaangsmother; doomed Rmpent; brutal, alienated Juni; and other memorable Semai.

The book opens with the horrific circumstances that the author argues gave rise to Semai peaceability, continues by illuminating their adaptation to those circumstances, and closes by sketching the eventual decline of that adaptation under the pressures of globalization. Unlike many behavioral scientists, Dentan argues that the Semai approach to conflict is a successful Darwinian adaptation. A recurring theme is the importance of psychological "surrender" to maintaining this adaptation. Throughout, the author highlights the mechanisms and costs of peace, underscoring their relevance to everyday life in all societies. Students and scholars of peace studies, conflict resolution, ethnography, and Southeast Asia will find this unique work an invaluable and compelling study.

Coda to Chapter 6: "'Surrender,' Peacekeeping, and Internal Colonialism: A Neglected Episode in Malaysian History," by Juli Edo, Anthony Williams-Hunt, and Robert Knox Dentan (PDF)

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This powerful ethnography of a people believed to be the least violent in the world explores how they maintain peaceful relations even under the most dire circumstances. Robert Knox Dentan, the world's foremost scholar of Semai, brings its members vividly to life. His book includes translations of their poetry, dramatized accounts of particular events, and extensive quotations from a wide range of individuals. In a clear, gripping, sometimes novelistic style, Dentan introduces the reader to tortured Nakhoda; beautiful, stubborn Kliy; witty, ironic Grcaangsmother; doomed Rmpent; brutal, alienated Juni; and other memorable Semai.

The book opens with the horrific circumstances that the author argues gave rise to Semai peaceability, continues by illuminating their adaptation to those circumstances, and closes by sketching the eventual decline of that adaptation under the pressures of globalization. Unlike many behavioral scientists, Dentan argues that the Semai approach to conflict is a successful Darwinian adaptation. A recurring theme is the importance of psychological "surrender" to maintaining this adaptation. Throughout, the author highlights the mechanisms and costs of peace, underscoring their relevance to everyday life in all societies. Students and scholars of peace studies, conflict resolution, ethnography, and Southeast Asia will find this unique work an invaluable and compelling study.

Coda to Chapter 6: "'Surrender,' Peacekeeping, and Internal Colonialism: A Neglected Episode in Malaysian History," by Juli Edo, Anthony Williams-Hunt, and Robert Knox Dentan (PDF)

More books from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Cover of the book Believe Your Ears by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book The Illicit Global Economy and State Power by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book Avignon and Its Papacy, 1309–1417 by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book Discretion, Community, and Correctional Ethics by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book Environmental Ethics for a Postcolonial World by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book Why Presidents Fail by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book Sold Out by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book School Bond Success by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book Engaging Data by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book World-Systems Theory in Practice by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book The Shaping of Thought by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book The Inside Story of China's High-Tech Industry by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book Transnational Protest and Global Activism by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book Environmental Politics for a Changing World by Robert Knox Dentan
Cover of the book Preventing Discipline Problems, K-12 by Robert Knox Dentan
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy