How is "structural violence" defined in anthropology?

Structural violence is defined as harm that arises from societal structures and institutions that create barriers preventing individuals or groups from meeting their basic needs and achieving a dignified life. This concept emphasizes how social inequities, disparities in power, and systemic discrimination can lead to adverse health, economic, and social outcomes. Rather than being direct acts of physical violence, structural violence is embedded in the fabric of society and maintains inequality by perpetuating conditions that lead to suffering and disadvantage.

The other choices focus on more immediate or individual acts of violence, which do not capture the broader scope of structural violence. For example, violence perpetrated by individuals (the first choice) represents personal conflict rather than systemic issues. Physical violence within communities (the third choice) also signifies direct confrontations rather than the indirect harm associated with systemic inequities. The act of aggression from powerful nations towards weaker nations (the fourth choice) refers to geopolitical actions that could fall under different categories of violence, but still does not encapsulate the systemic, structural nature of violence observed in social institutions.