Understanding Context and Contradiction in the Concept of Violence: Frantz Fanon, Stokely Carmichael and the Long 1960s

Abstract

This article introduces the idea of contextual shift for refining understanding of use and meaning of the concept of violence. Much theoretical work on violence today begins from the recognition that ‘violence’ is inextricably entangled with, and used to contest, the values that form the subject-matter of politics. Making sure that the concept of violence remains responsive to its real-world instances therefore requires tracing the way it is strategically appropriated and used by political actors. This article argues that a focus on contextual shift provides greater analytical purchase on these uses by showing how structural transformations open up new opportunities for using the concept of violence as actors seek to navigate contradictory commitments. The explanatory value of contextual shift is presented through an account of strategic appropriations of ‘violence’ by revolutionary actors during the Long 1960s, with particular attention paid to the uses made by Frantz Fanon and Stokely Carmichael.