Key question - Social Psychology

Question 1

What is the key questions in Social Psychology?

Answer 1

Why do ordinary people commit genocide?

Question 2

What is genocide?

Answer 2

Is an act committed with intent to destory a national, ethic, racial or religious group

Question 3

What are some examples of genocide?

Answer 3

• The Holocaust
• The Rwandan Genocide- 1994 mass murder estimated of 800,000 people in the small east African nation of Rwanda. Over the 100 days, estimated 500,000- 1,000,000 people had died- 20% of the countries population. Between the Tutsi and Hutu people
• The Kmer Rouge- the communist party of Kampuchea led by Polpot and other leaders organised the mass killing of ehtic minorities like the Vietanmese, Chinese etc. The total victims is estimated at approvimately 1.7 million

Question 4

Why is key question in in Social Psychology important ?

Answer 4

If we can explain it we could identify warning signs, this could help prevent it in the future.
Individuals will benefit as they can avoid persecution/ injury/ death and society will benefit s times remain peaceful

Question 5

How does the agency theory explain the key question in Social Psychology?

Answer 5

• Autonomous state- Authority figure like Hitler who is completely responsible for their actions
• Agentic state- Feel as is they can give the responsibility of their actions to the authority figure
• Moral strain- Not all Nazis wanted to do what they were told as it was against their morals
  Defence mechanisms: rationalisation
• Denial state- Some people deny their involvement in the holocaust

Question 6

How does Authoritarianism explain the key question in Social Psychology?

Answer 6

• This personality type is associated with respect for authority and obseession with power, hostility, intolerance, violence and ethnocentric
• Childrearing practices lead to anger in the child that cannot be directed to parents (Hitler rejection from art)
• Displacement and scapegoating: Hatred and blame directed instead to minority groups
  Blame onto Jews comes from jealousy that they are doing well economically

Question 7

How does Social Identity theory explain the key question in Social Psychology?

Answer 7

• Social categorisation: The Nazis considered themselces the higher/ superior in group and the Jews/ homosexuals/ gypsies the inferior out group
• Social identification: Nazis wearing uniforms and swatstikas
• Social comparison: Made Jews wear star of David and saw themselves as better. Mistreated jews

Question 8

How does realistic conflict theory explain the key question in Social Psychology?

Answer 8

• Competition- Scarce resources, WW1- Germany was in a financial crisis
• Zero sums fate- Germany got thr power the Jews did not
• Survival