Conflict and security

Does politics encourage violence in Jamaica?

P. Smith / Panos Pictures

Common violence is a major concern in cities throughout the world. This paper draws on extensive field research in Kingston’s garrison communities and argues that Jamaica generally, and Kingston in particular, experiences high levels of common violence. The Jamaican case is qualitatively unique, in that its origins and persistence lie squarely in Jamaica’s distinctive democratic politics. The authors demonstrate how the two major political parties in the country are locked in a deadly domestic war of attrition.

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