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Violence has played a critical role in shaping the institutions and power dynamics that define the US. Looking through the lens of violence, we can explore a framework for understanding how historical violence continues to inform contemporary society and the function of institutions. From the prevalence of gun violence to a sense of powerlessness in society, we discuss how education, healthcare, and employment are rooted in historical violence that reinforces inequities in today's America.

Intrigued? Click on to find out more.

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In the United States, an average of 40,000 people die annually from gun violence. Over half of these deaths are suicides, which means the remaining half are homicides. In addition to fatalities, over 85,000 people are hospitalized yearly in the United States due to gunshot injuries.

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Most victims of homicides know their perpetrators, meaning they are not random victims or strangers. While the latter is rare, it typically occurs due to police violence. Otherwise, one of the main relationships between perpetrators and victims is a domestic partnership.

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In the United States, the leading cause of death among children aged one to seventeen is gun violence, according to Johns Hopkins University. This averages to approximately seven deaths a day.

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The majority of mass shootings, which refers to the death of three or more individuals in a single incident, occur inside American homes.

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There is much to be said about gun violence in the United States. There are a great deal of resources that record the sheer numbers, the contexts, the motivations, and more detailed analyses of the data.

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What scholars like Patrick Blanchfield of the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research argue, however, is that in American society, some groups of people die of gun violence more than others, while other groups of people are much more likely to be perpetrators of gun violence.

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Blanchfield argues that there is a “distinct stratification on how gun violence plays out,” which he ties to the values and hierarchies of the society at large.

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For example, the overwhelming majority of perpetrators are men (95% of all mass shooters are men). Statistically, these men are also white. Similarly, suicide victims are also more likely to be men.

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Blanchfield notes that this reflects the hierarchy of American society and its relationship to violence. His reflections aren’t meant to simplify all kinds of gun violence and their motivations to categories of race or gender, but merely to provide insight into what is happening in American society.

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One of the questions Blanchfield asks is what tools are available in American society to deal with the detrimental socio-economic and political conditions that exist?

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For example, total consumer debt in the United States is nearly $18 trillion, most of which is tied to homeownership, student loans, credit card use, car loans, and medical debt. Simultaneously, businesses like credit card companies are raking in record profits. For many people, this debt can be crippling, requiring minimum payments comprised of nearly 15% of monthly incomes.

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The average American holds over $50,000 in debt. Research shows that those under financial stress and facing mounting debt are 20 times more likely to commit suicide.

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Many studies reflect on what viable methods are available to the average person to deal with these extraordinary figures. What’s the most accessible solution for these kinds of issues that threaten to ruin people’s lives?

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Blanchfield argues that violence becomes an "out" for those facing extreme financial strain and stress. That is a context where people generally feel powerless over their circumstances. With access to guns and other weapons, unfortunately, violence against themselves and others becomes a viable option.

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There are other kinds of violence that inform and contribute toward the inequities prevalent in American institutions, much of which is historically informed.

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The violent conquest of Indigenous lands and the enslavement of people provides a historical understanding of the violence that played a foundational role in the structures intrinsic to American society, not least the racial and class-based hierarchies that continue to be prevalent today.

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From this perspective, state power becomes inseparable from violence, particularly in the development and maintenance of social order and the protection of elite interests.

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This is evident in how the concentration of power exists in the United States in controlling dissent and suppressing popular uprisings through military interventions, police brutality, mass surveillance activities, and judicial processes that underline societal inequalities.

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When looking at American institutions, power dynamics and inequities are made even clearer. An example of this is the lack of affordable access to healthcare in the US.

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Studies demonstrate unequal access to healthcare in the US across racial and economic lines. While there are economic factors that feed into this, historical practices of medical exploitation and discrimination also play a huge part in this issue.

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For example, medical experiments such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study conducted on African Americans, in which treatment was withheld to document the progress of syphilis, note a historical distrust in the healthcare system.

Pictured is Herman Shaw, a survivor of the experiment who received a public apology from then-President Bill Clinton.

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Media reports during the COVID-19 pandemic also pointed to disparities in terms of treatment and access to vaccination among different demographics in the US, furthering distrust in terms of access to quality care in times of need.

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Employment is another area that is rooted in historical exploitation and violence. In today’s society, the gig economy offers a look into economic violence, particularly in regard to how people providing key services face precarious working conditions.

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The exploitation of low-wage workers, for example, those who work in retail and construction, face limited job security, fixed wages, and sometimes dangerous working conditions.

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The institution of employment in the United States reinforces social inequalities and creates structural barriers to upward class mobility and denial of opportunities in terms of education and employment with better conditions, among other resources.

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The education system is one of the most determinant institutions in terms of people’s socio-economic conditions. Yet, it is a system filled with inequities, particularly for those belonging to racialized groups.

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Studies show that across the United States, schools remain largely segregated in terms of racial composition and socio-economic class. The disparities that emerge from what is referred to as ‘educational violence’ are evident in the greater access to education for wealthier groups, who receive better facilities, educators, and funding.

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The conditions perpetuated in educational institutions are also reflected in the ability to gain upward class mobility. The high costs of higher education perpetuate a debt economy, often leaving people in financial stress for decades following their education.

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American institutions are not neutral, but rather deeply intertwined and embedded with historical and contemporary violence that reinforce systemic inequalities.

Sources: (The Dig) (Brooklyn Institute for Social Research) (Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health) (Britannica) (Rockefeller Institute of Government) (Gun Violence Archive) (Motley Fool Money) (Health.com) (Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present) (The New Jim Crow)