structural violence
Conceptualizing harm caused by embedded social structures rather than by violent physical acts. Socioeconomic and political factors that disadvantage certain individuals or groups are embedded into the structure of society, and cause harm to those individuals or groups by denying them the same privileges and life chances as the rest of society. It is difficult to pinpoint where the blame lies for this harm because the cause comes from social structures rather than any individual. In a domestic political system, structural violence is present when seemingly neutral decisions are taken (e.g. about healthcare funding) and these decisions have an unequal effect on different groups, with some groups experiencing long-term suffering or death from lack of access to basic medicines or sanitation. In global politics, structural violence takes place where elites from states and international finance and development organizations implement projects that dispossess native populations of their land, without consultation, recompense, or any benefit from the project itself. Structural violence can lead to physical violence, particularly in fragile societies when other conflict triggers are present, as the oppressed groups try to gain control over the system and structures that cause them harm.... ...
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