The Geometry of Genocide: A Study in Pure Sociology

In The Geometry of Genocide, Bradley Campbell argues that genocide is best understood not as deviant behavior but as social control?a response to perceived deviant behavior on the part of victims. Using Donald Black’s method of pure sociology, Campbell considers genocide in relation to three features of social life: diversity, inequality, and intimacy. Campbell applies his approach to five cases to attempt to explain an array of factors, including why genocide occurs and who participates. By situating genocide among these broader phenomena, The Geometry of Genocide provides a novel and compelling explanation of genocide, while furthering our understanding of why humans have conflicts and why they respond to conflict as they do.