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Conflict is Not Abuse

Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility and the Duty of Repair
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( 3,591 ratings, 737 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Sarah Schulman explores the crucial difference between conflict and abuse across personal relationships and broader political contexts. She argues that exaggerated claims of harm often serve to dodge responsibility, creating a culture of scapegoating and punishment rather than fostering self-reflection and accountability. This bold book challenges readers to reconsider how cruelty and exclusion are justified by differences.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This thought-provoking book is ideal for readers interested in politics, social justice, and personal growth, particularly those seeking to better understand conflict, accountability, and societal dynamics.

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Conflict Is Not Abuse :A book on the cultural phenomenon of blame, cruelty, and scapegoating as a power tactic in a range of relationships, from the most intimate (partners, friends) to the broadest (cultural groups, nations). It discusses how those in power positions exacerbate and manipulate fear of the "other" to achieve their aims.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From intimate relationships to global politics, Sarah Schulman observes a continuum: that inflated accusations of harm are used to avoid accountability. Illuminating the difference between Conflict and Abuse, Schulman directly addresses our contemporary culture of scapegoating.

This deep, brave, and bold work reveals how punishment replaces personal and collective self-criticism, and shows why difference is so often used to justify cruelty and shunning.

When referencing the title, use Conflict is Not Abuse for emphasis.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

bell hooks praises Schulman’s "awesome brilliance and insight," highlighting the book’s strategies to move beyond victimhood and blame, and its vision of mutual recognition and accountability. Claudia Rankine calls it a groundbreaking and challenging work that demands deep engagement and discussion for those invested in understanding complex conflicts.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781551526430

Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 16 March 2017

Country: Canada

Imprint: Arsenal Pulp Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 230.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 302

About the Author

Sarah Schulman: Sarah Schulman is a novelist, nonfiction writer, playwright, screenwriter, journalist and AIDS historian, and the author of eighteen books. A Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellow, Sarah is a Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at the City University of New York, College of Staten Island, and on the advisory board of Jewish Voice for Peace.

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