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🗿intro to anthropology review

Structural Violence

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

Structural violence refers to the systemic ways in which social structures and institutions harm or disadvantage individuals by preventing them from meeting their basic needs. It is a form of violence that is embedded in the social, political, and economic systems, often invisible and difficult to address directly.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

  1. Structural violence is often invisible and deeply embedded in social, political, and economic systems, making it difficult to address directly.
  2. It can manifest in various forms, such as poverty, lack of access to healthcare, education, or employment, as well as discrimination and marginalization.
  3. Structural violence disproportionately affects vulnerable and marginalized populations, exacerbating existing inequalities and perpetuating cycles of disadvantage.
  4. The concept of structural violence is closely linked to the social determinants of health, which emphasize the role of societal factors in shaping individual and community health outcomes.
  5. Addressing structural violence requires a multifaceted approach that tackles the root causes of inequality and works to transform the systems and institutions that perpetuate harm.

Review Questions

  • Explain how structural violence is connected to the concept of theories of inequity and inequality (Topic 9.1).
    • Structural violence is directly linked to theories of inequity and inequality, as it highlights how social, political, and economic systems can create and perpetuate disparities in access to resources, opportunities, and power. Theories of inequity and inequality examine the underlying structures and mechanisms that lead to the unequal distribution of wealth, healthcare, education, and other essential services, often along lines of race, class, and gender. By understanding structural violence, we can better identify the systemic barriers and power dynamics that contribute to these persistent inequities.
  • Describe how the concept of structural violence relates to the study of systems of inequality (Topic 9.2).
    • The study of systems of inequality is closely tied to the concept of structural violence, as it examines the complex and interconnected ways in which social, political, and economic structures create and maintain unequal access to resources and opportunities. Structural violence is embedded within these systems of inequality, shaping the lived experiences of marginalized populations and contributing to the perpetuation of disadvantage. By analyzing the various systems and institutions that generate and sustain inequality, we can better understand how structural violence manifests and develop strategies to address the root causes of these disparities.
  • Analyze how the theories and methods of structural violence (Topic 17.3) can be applied to the field of medical anthropology (Topic 17.4).
    • The theories and methods of structural violence offer valuable insights for the field of medical anthropology, which examines the intersection of health, culture, and social structures. Structural violence can help explain how the social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to healthcare, contribute to disparities in health outcomes. By applying a structural violence lens, medical anthropologists can investigate how broader societal systems and power dynamics shape individual and community health, and develop more holistic, contextual approaches to addressing health inequities. This integration of structural violence theory and medical anthropology can lead to more effective interventions and policies that address the underlying causes of poor health, rather than just the symptoms.