Kimberly M. Williams Libri

Socially Constructed School Violence: Lessons from the Field argues that the way we understand what constitutes violence is socially constructed, and that people from different social locations, that is, gender, race, social class, geographic location, and so on, will have varied perspectives on what is violent. Based on ethnographic work at an urban alternative school for students expelled for bringing weapons to school and an affluent suburban school eighteen miles away, this book describes various ways violence can be constructed. Specifically, this book discusses personal and structural forms of violence that students, teachers, administrators, and other school staff encounter. Using powerful examples from the ethnographic analysis, this book describes some of the valuable lessons learned about how we can work to prevent school violence.

The study reveals that college women often view drug use as intertwined with their relationships rather than as an isolated activity. They socially construct their perceptions of drugs through traditional lenses of morality, legality, and personal safety. Additionally, these women establish a hierarchy of drug acceptability, creating individualized rankings that guide their limits and choices regarding drug use within their social contexts.