Men, victims and perpetrators of violence: the corrosion of public space and the loss of the human condition

This was a qualitative study conducted in the municipality of Ribeirao das Neves, MG, with the aim of understanding men's involvement in violence. The methodology consisted of focus groups were organized according to sex, age and administrative region of the municipality. There were 30 groups in total, with 231 randomly recruited participants. For the analysis, the hermeneutical-dialectical method was used and, in light of Hannah Arendt's political theory, violence was interpreted as domination that permeates human relationships. Men and women were identified as possible perpetrators and victims of violence, and their involvement was defined in accordance with the inequality of relationships established. The numbers of the violence and explanations centered on biological theories may lead to the premature conclusion that men are more violent than women. The theoretical basis and greater depth of contextualization make it possible to throw light on other aspects of this important issue.