Violence diffusion, illegal accumulation and norms of criminal authority: alternative configurations of politics and power in the 21^st century?

ABSTRACT

This Commentary explores whether the essays in this volume and other evidence, require us to rethink our social science tools in order to grasp the significance of criminal penetration of politics and crimes of the State for our understanding of politics and power. Using the classic Weberian lens, it problematises the extent to which Weber’s key concepts of ‘violence monopolisation’, ‘legality’, ‘legitimacy’ and ‘territory’ enable us to comprehend political and state trajectories in those countries where crime and violence are ever more diffused (and organised) outside the State, in war, non-war and post war contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Chronic violence
• criminality
• legitimacy
• politics
• power

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Notes on contributors

Jenny Pearce

Jenny Pearce is a Political Scientist who works with anthropological methods on violence, security, participation and social change in Latin America. Her most recent (2020) monograph is Politics without Violence? Towards a Post Weberian Enlightenment. Her current research is on security and violence in Mexico and elites and violence in Colombia.