ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some of the participants' childhoods and the significance of violence in their lives. These men grew up in what were once staunchly working-class industrial communities where, despite considerable fracture and transformation, elements of the visceral cultures of the industrial period of capitalism still persist contemporarily. The men's early lives were evidently shaped by the immediate presence of individuals who possessed these durable masculine qualities common to such cultures and in particular contexts, these individuals encouraged violence and aggression. These significant, mostly male, individuals provided evidence of the cultural benefits that can be accrued by those who are willing to be violent. Violence was not posited so much as a choice, but as an enforced circumstance that simply had to be faced and dealt with. There was little sense that violent and threatening individuals could be completely avoided.
