ABSTRACT
Writing from a feminist perspective, Brock-Utne (1989) expands Galtung’s definition. She acknowledges the existence of negative peace (the absence of war) and positive peace (the absence of structural violence). However, she introduces a distinction that separates structural violence that shortens the life span from structural violence that reduces quality of life. Finally, she points out that there is a distinction between organized violence manifested in a systematic way on an intergroup level and unorganized physical and structural violence manifested on an interpersonal level, within the home, for example.1 In other words, even if there are no wars going on (organized physical violence), peace cannot be said to exist when children or
women are abused within the home (unorganized physical violence). There is no peace if life span is lessened because of the effect of inequitable economic structures or damage on nat re by pollution, radiation, etc. (organized structural violence) or if a girl child’s needs for food, health, clothing are not provided for adequately because of gender (unorganized structural violence). Finally, there is no positive peace if quality of life is reduced as when, for example, free speech or the right to organize are denied (organized structural violence) or when educational opportunities in a home are determined according to gender (unorganized structural violence).
