Violence
Anne McElvoy discusses violence with historians Richard Bessel and Diana Preston, academic Helen Benedict and June Oscar, advocate for Aboriginal rights in Australia.
On Start the Week Anne McElvoy discusses our obsession with violence. The historian Richard Bessel explores its past ubiquity, but argues that our modern attitudes towards it have changed. There's little change in the attitudes towards women in the armed forces, according to a play by the academic Helen Benedict. Diana Preston sees history repeating itself as weapons of mass destruction continue to be used in much the same way as a century ago. For June Oscar, an Indigenous leader from North Western Australia, the history of her people has been dominated by the violent struggle with settlers from the 1770s.
Producer: Katy Hickman.
Last on
Richard Bessel
is Professor of Twentieth Century History at the University of York.
Violence: A Modern Obsession is published by Simon & Schuster.
June Oscar
June Oscar is the Chief Executive Officer of Marninwarntikura Fitzroy Women’s Resource Centre in Australia and a champion for Indigenous Australian languages, social justice, women’s issues and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
June is giving a at King’s College London on Wednesday 29 April: Encountering Truth: The Real Life Stories of Objects from Empire’s Frontier and Beyond.
The exhibition Indigenous Australia: enduring civilisation is at the until 2 August.Diana Preston
is a historian, writer and broadcaster.
A Higher Form of Killing: Six Weeks in World War I That Forever Changed the Nature of Warfare is published by Bloomsbury Press.
Helen Benedict
is a professor of journalism at Columbia University and a novelist, journalist and playwright specialising in issues of social justice.
The Lonely Soldier Monologues is on at the Cockpit Theatre in London from 6 - 31 May.
The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq is out in paperback.
Helen is taking part in Women in Conflict: violence, injustice and power at the on Tuesday 28 April.
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Anne McElvoy |
| Interviewed Guest | Richard Bessel |
| Interviewed Guest | Diana Preston |
| Interviewed Guest | Helen Benedict |
| Interviewed Guest | June Oscar |
| Producer | Katy Hickman |
Broadcasts
- Mon 27 Apr 2015 09:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Mon 27 Apr 2015 21:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
Podcast
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Start the Week
Weekly discussion programme, setting the cultural agenda every Monday
