Key question 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
What are some key features of genocide?
- Murder
- Torture
- Deprivation
- Sterilisation
Why is genocide an important issue?
Genocide has lead to many deaths and if we identify the factors that lead to obedience and/or prejudice, we can therefore provide solutions to prevent genocides
What 4 concepts from social psychology can be used to explain why ordinary people may commit genocide?
1) Agency theory
2) Social identity theory
3) Authoritarianism
4) Realistic conflict theory
How can agency theory be used to explain genocide?
Agency theory suggests that the presence and orders of an authority figure will lead to the agentic shift occurring where individuals will switch from the autonomous state to the agentic state where they surrender their free will to authority
The individual will follow orders even if it goes against their conscience, leading to moral strain; they may dissent but not disobey
Using the nazis as an example, how can agency theory be used to explain genocide?
The nazis in WW2 were in the agentic state when discriminating against the jews as they were following Hitler’s orders (authority) and surrendering their free will allowing them to commit the atrocities
Propaganda and nazi officers kept them in the agentic state
What is a strength of agency theory as an explanation for genocide?
Hofling et al
P - Hofling’s (1966) study has high validity
E - Field experiment where 21/22 nurses gave overdose due to being in agentic state under the authority of the doctor
E - Provides real life evidence for people giving up their free will and placing responsibility to authority to commit deadly acts
What is a weakness of agency theory as an explanation for genocide?
D
P - Agency theory is deterministic
E - Agency theory states that people give up their free will when they enter the agentic state and are no longer in control of their actions
E - People are more complex than this with individual differences that allow them to make their own decisions
How can social identity theory be used to explain genocide?
Social identity theory states that 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 therefore find ways to make out-groups look inferior to them through social categorisation
This can escalate to genocide as in-groups may want to get rid of out-groups if they are perceived as a threat to their esteem
Using the nazis as an example, how can agency theory be used to explain genocide?
Nazi propaganda was designed to create an imbalance between them and the jews, creating high esteem for the nazis
3 cognitive processes that led to genocide:
1) Nazi’s / Jews
2) Nazi swastika / Star of David
3) Nazi’s comparing themselves to the Jews
What is a strength of social identity theory as an explanation of genocide?
Jane Elliot
P - Supporting evidence 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 a group can cause prejudice to arise
What is a weakness of social identity theory as an explanation of genocide?
P - Much of the research comes from minimal group studies
E - Only demonstrates low level hostility (e.g Jane Elliot)
E - Doesn’t explain how this could lead to mass extermination of out-groups
How can authoritarianism be used to explain genocide?
Authoritarianism is a personality type that has characteristics prone to prejudice, such as hostility to minority groups
Measured using the F-scale questionnaire where a high score indicated high fascism and prejudice
Adorno looked at the childhoods of those with this personality type and found they had strict upbringings and couldn’t express their hostility towards their parents for fear of punishment
They differ their hostility of their parents onto minority groups due to seeing them as easier targets which can explain the progression to violence in the form of a genocide
What is a strength of authoritarianism as an explanation of genocide?
Adorno
P - Adorno’s (1950) research supports
E - Used quantitative data in F-scale of 2,000 ppts
E - Reduces subjectivity providing a scientific method of looking at the reason for genocide
What is a weakness of authoritarianism as an explanation of genocide?
P - Reductionist
E - Only looks at one type of personality as the cause for prejudice
E - Prejudice is more complicated than that and can be the factor of multiple different personality types or situation factors, therefore reasons for genocide may be more complex
Briefly outline a conclusion for the key question
In conclusion
