Transcript Olek Netzer Presentation

Education against Dehumanization:
Radical Change in Approach
to Peace Education
Olek Netzer, Ph.D.
Independent Researcher, Activist and Dissident
Tel Aviv, Israel
Hello, I'm Olek Netzer. I truly regret not being able to
be with you in person.
In the field of Peace and War studies I discovered Blind Areas
in social cognition, without which self-justification of
dehumanized attitudes would be impossible.
This discovery could Change the World of conflict
I was able to make it taking the Direct Causation Approach
in contrast to the predominant Multiple Causation Approach
Direct Causation Approach
The Direct Causation Approach won't ask "What
were the causes for the 9/11 terrorist
attack?" – The causes were evident: The
perpetrators believed in doing it, were
perfectly conscious of consequences and
convinced they were doing the Right Moral
Godly Heroic thing.
RESEARCH QUESTION
HOW COULD THEY?
How can normal people commit even the most
horrifying acts of idiocy, atrocity, injustice, terror,
without running into an intolerable conflict,
Cognitive Dissonance with their own highest values of
Sanity, Truth, Morality, Justice?!
Research Process
Monitoring Israeli Media 1979-1999 for
patterns of thinking about the country's
War and Conflicts
DISCOVERY: BLIND AREAS
The Cognitive Maps of Fanatics contain Blind Areas that
cover their own human limitations
like the possibility of being as susceptible to sin, error,
misjudgment and Evil as any human.
Blind Areas also obscure the vision of human reality in the
enemies – their individuality, individual differences,
change, good qualities, and more.
Blind Areas make self-justification possible by
DEHUMANIZATION
of both Self and others who are by that excluded
from one’s moral consideration
See the Blind Areas covering Oneself and one’s In-group ’WE’
1. The fact that ‘WE’ (the Nation, the People, the Country, the State) is an
abstract term and that in reality only individual human beings exist
2. The dangers of herd-mentality, of too much collective identification and too
little individual self-identity.
3. The possibility of having too much national pride and of feeling, unjustifiably,
superior to others
4. The possibility WE might not be right, or not entirely right, in our conflict with
“THEM”
5. Fear of sinning with regard to THEM; the possibility that we were in some
instances as guilty as THEM or as some other nations, or that we could sin
against THEM now or in the future
6. The possibility that WE lose the war
--------------------------… ponder ….-----------------------------Fanatics of war-conflict-hatred would not spontaneously express
evidence of AWARENESS of any of the Blind Areas listed above
SIMPLY:
If they WERE AWARE of their human limitations, dangers of not being right, the
natural possibility that they might be wrong; aware of their moral obligation to
avoid sin and error - they could not be FANATICAL = DEHUMANIZE OTHERS.
THE TASK OF PEACE EDUCATION WOULD BE TO MAKE THEM AWARE!
See the Blind Areas covering ‘THEM’ – the Out-group
1. Their humanity; the fact that each one of them is as human a being as each one of
us
2. Their individuality, the differences between each one of THEM and others
3. The possibility that THEY could change and become less belligerent.
4. Their good qualities and achievements as a group
5. The possibility that there is, or could be, some justice on their side of the conflict
with us.
*********************
Fanatics of war-conflict-hatred would not spontaneously express
evidence of AWARENESS of any of the Blind Areas listed above
SIMPLY:
If they WERE AWARE of the fact that the others are not ‘THEM’ but human
beings as themselves, individuals, each unique and different and all equal to us
in their human rights to be treated justly each according to her or his
behaviour - they could not be FANATICAL = DEHUMANIZE OTHERS.
THE TASK OF PEACE EDUCATION WOULD BE TO MAKE THEM AWARE!
Blind Areas make fanatics of conflict unaware of human reality.
How DO they see the world of conflict? How do they reason?
THUS:
WE ALWAYS GOOD-RIGHT THEM ALWAYS BAD-GUILTY
Evidence that is not in harmony with this fantastic view falls into a
Blind Area. Whatever does reach awareness rolls along fixed channels
of reasoning called Patterned Beliefs to the conclusion that ‘YES, in
this case too WE were right and THEY were guilty!’
How do they see themselves?
‘WE’ - Patterned Beliefs
1. We are better\ superior to others
2. We are brave fighters, patriots
3. The common good is the supreme value, individual good is less
valued; war, blood, death, victims, are not just means to secure
human life values but values in themselves
4. We are right (always), in victory or in defeat; we are never
the aggressors but act in self-defense, take preventive measures,
obey God’s command, retaliate, etc.
5. We shall be victorious if we stay faithful to our collective
values.
How do they see ‘THEM’?
THEY -- Patterned Beliefs
1. THEY are bad by nature: savages, animals, idolaters, sub-human, inferior race,
inferior culture (snake-eaters, frog-eaters, dog-eaters, pig-eaters, etc.).
2. Negative stereotypes: THEM are stupid, dirty, lazy, thieves, cheaters,
kidnappers of children, seducers of women, blood-suckers, etc.
3. THEY hate us: They are fanatics, nationalistic, fundamentalist, etc.
4. THEY are the villains: threaten us, do acts of cruelty and horror, want to
conquer us, subjugate us, destroy\annihilate us; take our lands, jobs, women;
contaminate us with disease and crime, etc.
5. THEY understand nothing but force. THEY take advantage of our conciliatory
moves that THEY interpret as weakness.
More Examples of Fanatical-Dehumanized
Blind Areas
How do fanatics of War reason Strategy?
Their Blind Areas Cover:
1.
2.
The possibility that the best tactics in certain situations is not using force
but making a reconciliatory gesture.
The expected results of using force: violence breeds violence and motivation
to retaliate; the victims, dangers, suffering, and terrible price of making war.
Therefore they’d be Blind to see what these leaders saw:
More Examples of Fanatical-Dehumanized
Patterned Beliefs
How do they reason Strategy?
Their Patterned Beliefs:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Only force: (popular cliché: 'Until they’ve learned their lesson'.
Not using force is weakness (THEY interpret it as weakness).
If force does not help more force should be used.
If force had not helped somebody else is to be blamed, not 'WE'.
More Examples of Fanatical-Dehumanized
Blind Areas
How do they reason their MORALITY?
Their Blind Areas Cover:
The moral obligation itself: measuring whatever WE do to THEM and whatever
THEY do to us with the same yardstick
The danger of sinning against THEM; the possibility that what WE do unto THEM
would be as bad as what THEY do unto us
The personal duty of moral conduct in relation to THEM, and the fact that there is
no moral judgment other than that of individuals like oneself
The fact that “Means” and “Goals” exist only as abstract concepts in our mind and
that in reality only individuals like ourselves can justify or not justify anything
The possibility that morality is power; that behaving morally WE are strengthened
and behaving immorally WE are weakened
Therefore they’d be blind to see what these leaders saw
More Examples of Fanatical-Dehumanized
Patterned Beliefs
How do they reason MORALITY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
All that WE do to THEM in the conflict is moral (“Everything is moral
which is necessary for the annihilation of the old exploiting social order and
for uniting the proletariat” - Lenin.)
“An eye for eye”: the same immoral deed of THEM against us becomes moral
as retaliation or revenge.
Morality in matters of state is the business of the state, not of the
individual.
There is no morality--should be no morality--in the war with THEM, only
interests of power and survival of the fittest.
Might is Right.
The Aim justifies the Means.
APLICATION IN EDUCATION
THE DEHUMANIZATION SYNDROME
IS THE TOOL TO WORK WITH
It is the list of Symptoms of Dehumanization which are the
BLIND AREAS and PATTERNED BELIEFS
Educators and their students need to know it
in order to clearly identify the symptoms of Dehumanization
in texts and expression people
including their people, relatives and friends
including themselves…
*
Blind Areas and Patterned Beliefs
of the Dehumanization Syndrome
are organized under 10 headings:
WE * THEM * BLEEDING HEARTS * DEVIANTS * CAPTIVES
LEADER * STRATEGY * OTHER NATIONS * MORALITY * TIME
(The Dehumanization Syndrome tool is available free from the author)
TEACHING PROCESSES
Learning to identify Patterned Beliefs in narratives
EXAMPLE
Teaching History, a contemporary source on the Sack of Constantinople by the
Crusaders (April 11,1204)
... Then the bishops preached to the army… and they showed to the
pilgrims that the war was a righteous one; for the Greeks were traitors
and murderers, and also disloyal, since they had murdered their
rightful lord, and were worse than Jews. Then the bishops said that
they ought not to hesitate to attack the Greeks, for the latter were
enemies of God.
Which ideas of the bishops in the text fit the
Patterned Beliefs of Dehumanization?
•… the war was a righteous one (WE are Right)
•…the Greeks were traitors and murderers, disloyal, worse than Jews
(THEY are Bad/Guilty(
•,,,they ought not to hesitate to attack.. (WE are Brave Warriors)
•...the latter were enemies of God (THEY are Bad/Guilty(
TEACHING PROCESSES
Learning to identify awareness to Blind Areas in texts
EXAMPLE
Teaching History, a contemporary source on the Capture of the city of Acre
by the Crusaders (1191)
When these arrangements for the city's surrender were made known
(…) the ignorant mob was inflamed with anger. The wiser men,
however, were filled with a not unmerited joy, because they had
obtained expeditiously and without danger the aim which they
had previously been unable to obtain for such a long time.
On this critical day the probity of these Turks was admirable, as was
their great bravery, for they were most vigorous in military
enterprises, distinguished in their magnificence. …
Although extreme necessity had just vanquished them, reducing them
almost to beggary, the defeated men who emerged were not broken
up by gnawing worry nor dejected by the loss of their
possessions… Their lying, superstitious cult, however, had
perverted their powers as men.
Can you identify any evidence of AWARENESS on part of
the Narrator of any of the Blind Areas?
(marked in the text BLUE (
INTERACTIVE PROCESSES IN A CLASSROOM
REFERING TO A KNOWN PATTERNED BELIEF
‘What you just said fits the “They All Hate Us”
Patterned Belief, doesn’t it? Would you like to
comment on this?’
AVOID ARGUMENT
Arguing with a fanatically prejudiced person is like arguing with
a Computer. It was so programmed that the relevant Data
Base of Humanness is not included, but buried in an
inaccessible file of BLIND AREAS
INTERACTIVE PROCESSES IN A CLASSROOM
ASKING OPEN QUESTIONS ABOUT REALITIES
HIDDEN IN BLIND AREAS
PROMPT: ‘We should kill them until they’ve learned their lesson’
SOME POSSIBLE RESPONSES:
• They are human beings like you and me; Who it is exactly
that you want to kill?”
• You know, among them must be good and intelligent boys
exactly like you. Do you believe we should kill one such boy
like you?
• Do you think, is it possible that they are killing us to teach
us a lesson? What lesson did you learn from that?...
• Can killing teach anyone a lesson other than hating you even
more and striking back?
• Have you lately met with a person or an idea that you felt
was not fair to ‘Them’, not just or too extreme? Please tell
me about it...
• Have you ever considered the danger that we might became
wrong and guilty in fighting them as they are in fighting us?
• What would YOU do to prevent it?
PROGNOSIS
1. If, beginning at the age of identity-forming,
Dehumanization (‘Social Evil’) were integrated into the
basic coordinates of people's identity and social
orientation - to what extent the society would be freed
from PREJUDICE and racial-ethnic DISCRIMINATION?
To what extent would WAR be regarded as an option for
resolving conflicts in a society well informed and used to
detect the characteristic Blind Areas and Patterned
Beliefs of dehumanized irrationality?
2.Would application of the Dehumanization Theory in
education affect politics and society?
IT WILL, but that claim needs to be validated by
teachers and educators like YOU who would have the
resolve to put it to test in Your practice
Thank You for listening
Contact: [email protected]