This course will consider two propositions related to culture and the problem of violence. The first is that, while violence is generally viewed as antithetical to society, violence (as institution and experience) is the foundation of society and the social order. The second proposition is that there exists a structural and symbolic continuity between the elementary forms of violence found in so-called primitive societies and those which exist in complex societies, including our own. In examining these propositions, we will look at a number of case studies to determine how violence is implicated in the constitutions of society and whether or not violence itself can be said to have its own meaning, logic, and order. Among the questions we will consider are the following: How are individuals conditioned to act in violent ways? How is violence ritually patterned and culturally sanctioned? And are there discernible patterns in the relationship between violence and power in simple and complex societies? Discussion seminar. Requirements: two response papers, a research paper, and class facilitation. Prerequisite: Anthropology and Sociology majors, or permission of instructor.