You mean, a reality show?! Well, my disgression may not have been a
disgression after all...
Quoting Peter Smagorinsky <smago@coe.uga.edu>:
> Oz is an HBO program set in a prison with lots of hard core criminals
> and
> hard core guards.
> At 01:02 PM 5/10/2004 -0400, you wrote:
>
> >Peter,
> >
> >What Oz is?
> >
> >Re the torture imagery in American life, the few times I saw NYPD
> blue,
> >it seemed to me that it was in the verge of legitimizing the use
> of
> >torture as a way to collect criminal info. Of course, in a
> "softened"
> >way, but the underlying message was quite violent and, of
> course,the
> >naive viewer couldnīt help but identifying with the good cops. As
> 9/11
> >directed viewers to see with New eyes American movies, the Iraq
> Torture
> >case should do the same thing. There is plenty of cases where
> physical
> >abuse is done by the "good" guys, but always in a threshold that
> an
> >average viewer can tolerate (and enjoy...)
> >
> >David
> >
> >Quoting Peter Smagorinsky <smago@coe.uga.edu>:
> >
> > > 3ce7295.jpg
> > > At 10:52 AM 5/10/2004 -0400, you wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > >Why everyone's not a torturer
> > > >
> > > >By Stephen Reicher and Alex Haslam
> > > >Psychologists
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Guards and prisoners, taking part in The Experiment for the BBC
> in
> > > 2002
> > > >So groups of people in positions of unaccountable power
> naturally
> > > >resort to violence, do they? Not according to research conducted
> in
> > > a
> > > >BBC experiment.
> > > >The photographs from Abu Ghraib prison showing Americans
> abusing
> > > Iraqi
> > > >prisoners make us recoil and lead us to distance ourselves
> from
> > > their
> > > >horror and brutality. Surely those who commit such acts are
> not
> > > like
> > > >us? Surely the perpetrators must be twisted or disturbed in
> some
> > > way?
> > > >They must be monsters. We ourselves would never condone or
> > > contribute
> > > >to such events.
> > > >
> > > >Sadly, 50 years of social psychological research indicates
> that
> > > such
> > > >comforting thoughts are deluded. A series of major studies
> have
> > > shown
> > > >that even well-adjusted people, when divided into groups and
> placed
> > > in
> > > >competition against each other, can become abusive and
> violent.
> > > >
> > > > OTHER RESEARCH
> > > >Stanley Milgram at Yale instructed experimenters to give
> electric
> > > >shocks to another
> > > >They did so, despite person's cries of pain
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >In depth: After Saddam
> > > >Most notoriously, the 1971 Stanford prison experiment,
> conducted
> > > by
> > > >Philip Zimbardo and colleagues, seemingly showed that young
> > > students
> > > >who were assigned to the role of guard quickly became
> sadistically
> > > >abusive to the students assigned to the role of prisoners.
> > > >
> > > >Combined with lessons from history, the disturbing implication
> of
> > > such
> > > >research is that evil is not the preserve of a small minority
> of
> > > >exceptional individuals. We all have the capacity to behave in
> > > evil
> > > >ways. This idea was famously developed by Hannah Arendt whose
> > > >observations of the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, led her
> to
> > > remark
> > > >that what was most frightening was just how mild and ordinary
> he
> > > >looked. His evil was disarmingly banal.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >The latest pictures show detainees being threatened with dogs
> (AP
> > > >Photo/Courtesy of The New Yorker)
> > > >In order to explain events in Iraq, one might go further and
> > > conclude
> > > >that the torturers were victims of circumstances, that they
> lost
> > > their
> > > >moral compass in the group and did things they would normally
> > > abhor.
> > > >Indeed, using Zimbardo's findings as evidence, this is
> precisely
> > > what
> > > >some people do conclude. But this is bad psychology and it is
> bad
> > > >ethics.
> > > >
> > > >It is bad psychology because it suggests we can explain human
> > > behaviour
> > > >without needing to scrutinize the wider culture in which it is
> > > located.
> > > >It is bad ethics because it absolves everyone from any
> > > responsibility
> > > >for events - the perpetrators, ourselves as constituents of
> the
> > > wider
> > > >society, and the leaders of that society.
> > > >
> > > >In the situation of Abu Ghraib, some reports have indicated
> that
> > > the
> > > >guards were following orders from intelligence officers and
> > > >interrogators in order to soften up the prisoners for
> > > interrogation.
> > > >
> > > >If that is true, then clearly the culture in which these
> soldiers
> > > were
> > > >immersed was one in which they were encouraged to see and
> treat
> > > Iraqis
> > > >as subhuman. Other army units almost certainly had a very
> > > different
> > > >culture and this provides a second explanation of why some
> people
> > > in
> > > >some units may have tortured, but others did not.
> > > >
> > > >Grotesque fun
> > > >
> > > >Perhaps the best evidence that such factors were at play is
> the
> > > fact
> > > >that the pictures were taken at all. Reminiscent of the
> postcards
> > > that
> > > >lynch mobs circulated to advertise their activities, the
> torture
> > > was
> > > >done proudly and with a grotesque sense of fun.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >'Those in the photos wanted others to know what they had done'
> > > >(AP/Courtesy The New Yorker)
> > > >Those in the photos wanted others to know what they had done,
> > > >presumably believing that the audience would approve. This
> sense
> > > of
> > > >approval is very important, since there is ample evidence that
> > > people
> > > >are more likely to act on any inclinations to behave in
> obnoxious
> > > ways
> > > >when they sense - correctly or incorrectly - that they have
> > > broader
> > > >support.
> > > >
> > > >So where did the soldiers in Iraq get that sense from? This
> takes us
> > > to
> > > >a critical influence on group behaviour: leadership. In the
> > > studies,
> > > >leadership - the way in which experimenters either overtly or
> > > tacitly
> > > >endorsed particular forms of action - was crucial to the way
> > > >participants behaved.
> > > >
> > > > Many guards in our experiment did not wish to act - or be
> seen
> > > to
> > > >act - as bullies or oppressors
> > > >
> > > >Thus one reason why the guards in our own research for the BBC
> did
> > > not
> > > >behave as brutally as those in the Stanford study, was that we
> did
> > > not
> > > >instruct them to behave in this way.
> > > >
> > > >Zimbardo, in contrast, told his participants: "You can create
> in
> > > the
> > > >prisoners feelings of boredom, a sense of fear to some degree,
> you
> > > can
> > > >create a notion of arbitrariness that their life is totally
> > > controlled
> > > >by us, by the system, you, me - and they'll have no privacy....
> In
> > > >general what all this leads to is a sense of powerlessness".
> > > >
> > > >Officers' messages
> > > >
> > > >In light of this point it is interesting to ask what messages
> were
> > > >being provided by fellow and, more critically, senior officers
> in
> > > the
> > > >units where torture took place? Did those who didn't approve
> fail
> > > to
> > > >speak out for fear of being seen as weak or disloyal? Did
> senior
> > > >officers who knew what was going on turn a blind eye or else
> > > simply
> > > >file away reports of misbehaviour?
> > > >
> > > >All these things happened after the My Lai massacre, and in
> many
> > > ways
> > > >the responses to an atrocity tell us most about how it can
> happen
> > > in
> > > >the first place. They tell us how murderers and torturers can
> begin
> > > to
> > > >believe that they will not be held to account for what they do,
> or
> > > even
> > > >that their actions are something praiseworthy. The more they
> > > perceive
> > > >that torture has the thumbs up, the more they will give it a
> thumbs
> > > up
> > > >themselves.
> > > >
> > > >So how do we prevent these kinds of episodes? One answer is to
> > > ensure
> > > >that people are always made aware of their other moral
> commitments
> > > and
> > > >their accountability to others. Whatever the pressures within
> > > their
> > > >military group, their ties to others must never be broken.
> Total
> > > and
> > > >secret institutions, where people are isolated from contact
> with
> > > all
> > > >others are breeding grounds for atrocity. Similarly, there are
> > > great
> > > >dangers in contracting out security functions to private
> > > contractors
> > > >which lack fully developed structures of public
> accountability.
> > > >
> > > >Power vacuum
> > > >
> > > >Another answer is to look at the culture of our institutions
> and
> > > the
> > > >role of leaders in framing that culture. Bad leadership can
> permit
> > > >torture in two ways. Sometimes leaders can actively promote
> > > oppressive
> > > >values. This is akin to what happened in Zimbardo's study and
> may
> > > be
> > > >the case in certain military intelligence units. But sometimes
> > > leaders
> > > >can simply fail to promote anything and hence create a vacuum
> of
> > > power.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >'Inmates' in The Experiment in their cells
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Is it in anyone to abuse a captive?
> > > >Our own findings indicated that where such a vacuum exists,
> people
> > > are
> > > >more likely to accept any clear line of action which is
> vigorously
> > > >proposed. Often, then, tyranny follows from powerlessness
> rather
> > > than
> > > >power. In either case, the failure of leaders to champion
> clear
> > > humane
> > > >and democratic values is part of the problem.
> > > >
> > > >But it is not enough to consider leadership in the military.
> One
> > > must
> > > >look more widely at the messages and the values provided in
> the
> > > >community at large. That means that we must address the
> anti-Arab
> > > and
> > > >anti-Muslim sentiment in our society. A culture where we have
> got
> > > used
> > > >to pictures of Iraqi prisoners semi-naked, chained and
> humiliated
> > > can
> > > >create a climate in which torturers see themselves as heroes
> > > rather
> > > >than villains.
> > > >
> > > >Again, for such a culture to thrive it is not necessary for
> everyone
> > > to
> > > >embrace such sentiments, it is sufficient simply for those who
> > > would
> > > >oppose them to feel muted and out-of-step with societal norms.
> > > >
> > > >Leaders' language
> > > >
> > > >And we must also look at political leadership. When
> administration
> > > >officials talk about cleaning out "rats' nests" of Iraqi
> dissidents,
> > > it
> > > >likens Iraqis to vermin. Note, for example, that just before
> the
> > > >Rwandan genocide, Hutu extremists started referring to Tutsi's
> > > >as "cockroaches".
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >The US is trying to limit the damage after an abuse scandal
> > > >(AP/Courtesy The New Yorker)
> > > >Such use of language again creates a climate in which
> perpetrators
> > > of
> > > >atrocity can maintain the illusion that they are nobly doing
> what
> > > >others know must be done. The torturers in Iraq may or may not
> > > have
> > > >been following direct orders from their leaders, but they were
> > > almost
> > > >certainly allowed to feel that they were behaving as good
> > > followers.
> > > >
> > > >So if we want to understand why torture occurs, it is important
> to
> > > >consider the psychology of individuals, of groups, and of
> society.
> > > >Groups do indeed affect the behaviour of individuals and can
> lead
> > > them
> > > >to do things they never anticipated. But how any given group
> > > affects
> > > >our behaviour depends upon the norms and values of that
> specific
> > > group.
> > > >
> > > >Evil can become banal, but so can humanism. The choice is not
> denied
> > > to
> > > >us by human nature but rests in our own hands. Hence, we need
> a
> > > >psychological analysis that addresses the values and beliefs
> that
> > > we,
> > > >our institutions, and our leaders promote. These create the
> > > conditions
> > > >in which would-be torturers feel either emboldened or unable
> to
> > > act.
> > > >
> > > >We need an analysis that makes us accept rather than avoid our
> > > >responsibilities. Above all, we need a psychology which does
> not
> > > >distance us from torture but which requires us to look closely
> at
> > > the
> > > >ways in which we and those who lead us are implicated in a
> society
> > > >which makes barbarity possible.
> > > >
> > > >Alex Haslam is a professor of psychology at University of
> Exeter
> > > and
> > > >editor of the European Journal of Social Psychology. Stephen
> Reicher
> > > is
> > > >a professor of psychology at University of St Andrews, past
> editor
> > > of
> > > >the British Journal of Social Psychology and a fellow of the
> Royal
> > > >Society of Edinburgh.
> > > >
> > >
>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Nov 09 2004 - 12:05:48 PST