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Violence is a phenomenon that social scientists puzzle over not only due to its multiple forms, but also due to the complexity of its causes & dynamics. Whereas political scientists tend to analyze violence from the perspective of institutions & policies, sociologists neglect the question of political solutions & concentrate on the causes & courses of violent phenomena. The analyses of Wieviorka & Tilly have the aim of understanding these phenomena as specific expressions of the relationship of individuals to society. Together with Keane, these publications also investigate the interaction of politics & violence, where Keane's essay creates a bridge between sociological analysis & political interests in the importance of state action. The lesson of these is particularly useful for political scientists & can deepen their understanding of social processes with government action effect together the advancement or reduction of violent dynamics. Of particular interest is the instability of violence as a subject. These works are mutually expansive & complementary, & despite individual weaknesses, show new ways to think about the effects of globalization, social marginalization, & the consequences of western interventionism. L. Reed

Civil society building has become a central element of democratization programs in regions under international administration such as Bosnia & in other countries affected by civil strife. This article explores the preconditions of civil society building, notably the preconditions for the functioning of state institutions & for a stable social order. It argues that state failure & social anomie may constitute major obstacles to civil society building in so far as they restrict the public space in which citizens may organize the common good in a universal & democratic manner. Adapted from the source document.