1.4 Key Q- Why do ordinary people commit genocide? Flashcards
What is the key question?
Why do ordinary people commit genocide?
What is genocide?
An act committed with the intent to eradicate a specific group of people, such as a religious group.
Name 4 processes that Genocide can involve
1) Murder
2) Torture
3) Deprivation
4) Sterilisation
Why is this issue important?
As it has lead to millions of deaths (such as the one in Cambodia under Khmer Rouge’s rule) and so identifying the factors that lead to prejudice can provide solutions to prevent it from occurring again.
> Cambodia
- Khmer Rouge overthrew ethnic minorities (e.g. Vietnamese, Chinese, Thais), targeting intellectuals first
- 1.7 million victims
List the 4 concepts from Social Psychology that can be used to help explain why ordinary people may commit genocide.
1) Agency Theory
2) Social Identity Theory
3) Authoritarianism
4) Realistic Conflict Theory
Briefly describe how Agency Theory can explain genocide.
An authority figure being present will lead to an agentic shift form the autonomous state the the agentic state in which individuals give up their free will
They then follow the orders of that authority figure even if it goes against their morals, in which they will experience a moral strain and may dissent but not disobey
The Nazis in WW2 were in the agentic state when discriminating against the Jews as they were following Hitler’s orders due to giving up their free will allowing them to commit the atrocities
The constant reminder from propaganda and Nazi officers kept them in the agentic sate
Evaluate 2 strengths of Agency Theory as an explanation for genocide.
P - Hofling’s (1966) research has high validity
E - Carried out a field experiment whereby 21/22 nurses gave overdose due to being in the agentic state under the authority figure of the doctor
E - Therefore provides real life evidence for people giving up their free will to authority to commit severe acts
P - Practical application for Nazi Germany
E - Due to the prejudice propaganda Nazis went through the agentic shift
E - Allowing them to commit the crimes due to not having their own free will
Evaluate 2 weaknesses of Agency Theory as an explanation for genocide.
P - Milgram’s supporting study was lab based
E - Controlled conditions meant the setting was artificial
E - Cannot apply to real life and so solutions that help reduce factors leading to genocide are less creditable and may not work
P - Deterministic
E - It states that people give up their free will when they enter the agentic state and so are not in control of their own actions
E - However people and their reasons for genocide are more complex than that with individual differences that allow them to make their own decisions
Briefly describe how Social Identity Theory can explain genocide.
The presence of another group divides us into ‘us’ and ‘them’ due to the tendency to categorise things during social categorisation
In-groups will find ways to increase their group esteem with social identification and so would use ways to make out-groups look inferior to them through social comparison
This can escalate to genocide as may want to get rid of the out-group if they perceive them as a big threat to their esteem
Nazi propaganda was designed to increase ‘otherness’ of the Jews, creating high esteem for the Nazis
Used the 3 cog processes that led to genocide:
1) Nazis/Jews, 2) Nazi Swastika/Star of David, 3) Nazis comparing themselves to the Jews
Evaluate 2 strengths of Social Identity Theory as an explanation for genocide.
P - Support from Jane Elliot’s (1968) research
E - Brown eyed people and blue eyed people developed prejudice attitudes towards each other
E - Shows that the mere presence of another group can create prejudice and so is the case of many examples of genocide (theory can provide solutions to reduce)
P - Provides an explanation for prejudice when there is no outgroup threat on ingroup
E - As it states that the mere presence of an outgroup can cause discrimination towards them in order to maintain self-esteem of ingroup
E - Therefore providing an explanation for why someone may commit genocide on a group of people despite them not providing a reason
Evaluate 2 weaknesses of Social Identity Theory as an explanation for genocide.
P - Much research comes from minimal group studies
E - Only demonstrates low level hostility (e.g. name calling in Jane Elliot)
E - Further explanation is needed as to how this could escalate to mass extermination of out-groups
P - Doesn’t give an explanation for the bits in between social identification and social comparison
E - Identifying with a group compared to genocide is a big leap
E - Doesn’t explain how it can get out of control
Briefly describe how Authoritarianism can explain genocide.
This personality type has characteristics prone to prejudice (e.g. hostility towards minorities)
It is measured using the F-scale questionnaire whereby a high F-score indicate high fascism and prejudice
Adorno looked at the childhood of people with this personality type and found that they had a strict upbringing and so couldn’t express hostility towards them for fear of punishments
And so they differed hostility towards minority groups due to seeing them as easier targets which would explain the progression to violence in the form of genocide
Evaluate 2 strengths of Authoritarianism as an explanation for genocide.
P -
P - Individual differences has practical application
E - It provides an explanation for why 35% of Milgram’s (1963) ppts didn’t administer highest level of shock at 450V
E - Therefore has mundane realism as to why only some people commit genocide
Evaluate 2 weaknesses of Authoritarianism as an explanation for genocide.
P - Reductionist
E - Only looks at one type of personality as the cause for prejudice
E - Prejudice is more complicated than that and so the reason why people would commit genocide is more complex
P - Doesn’t give an explanation for Nazi Germany
E - It doesn’t account for the sudden rise and fall in prejudice
E - And so maybe doesn’t explain mass prejudice in the form of genocide
Briefly describe how Realistic Conflict Theory can explain genocide.
Competition for resources or a conflict of interest increases prejudice between groups
This can be extended to genocide due to a zero-sums fate whereby resources are so limited only one group can prosper and so they may take extreme action to ensure they are the superior group
Germany was in a depression and the Nazis were blaming the Jewish people on the fall in the economy and so chose to eradicate them in a zero-sums fate to prosper
