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The Words that Kill:
The Dynamics of Negative Reciprocity in
Media and Collective Perception
Devising a Set of Danger-Markers for an EarlyWarning-System
© 2007 Peter Zvagulis
COV&R 2007
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Concept of an early-warning-system
Methodological components

Collective Mechanics:
René Girard’s Mimetic Theory

Descriptors of Collective Prejudice:
Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations

Techniques of Manipulation of Collective Perception:
Roger Mucchielli’s Psychology of Propaganda
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
The search for common denominators:
Cross-cultural triangulation (3 case studies)
1.
Nazi propaganda
2.
Propaganda of ethnic cleansing (fmr. Yugoslavia)
3.
Genocide propaganda (Rwanda)
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Explosive processes leading to
mass violence:

hate propaganda;

authorization by authority;

extremist violence.
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Mechanism of the Circularity of Collective PV
Circularity
Measuring
the level of PV
Collective Perceptional Violence
Authorization
Hate-speech
Extremist
violence
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Combined Cumulative Indexation (CCI)
Content of this presentation

Pre-crisis situation inviting manipulation (NER
& PV)

Mechanics of manipulation of collective
perception through NER (negative mimesis)

The EWMs (early-warning markers) and
measurement of intensity
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Mimetic desire leads to the vicious circle of frustration
B
A
C
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Phenomenon of Object Disappearance
B
A
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Negative Emotional Resonance (NER), Polarization
and a Third Perspective
Observer
C
Non-polarized
perspective
Crisis Situation
A
Polarized
perspective
NER
B
Polarized
perspective
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Regulated society:
clearly defined identity, no tension
(inspired by Vern Redekop’s From Violence to Blessing)
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Collective PV increases with the multiplication and
intensification of NER processes
(inspired by Vern Redekop’s From Violence to Blessing)
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Crisis: the loss of group identity;
search for a scapegoat
(inspired by Vern Redekop’s From Violence to Blessing)
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Crisis: the loss of group identity;
scapegoat found
(inspired by Vern Redekop’s From Violence to Blessing)
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Society unites against the imagined enemy
(inspired by Vern Redekop’s From Violence to Blessing)
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Unity and internal peace through scapegoating:
Society finds new identity
(inspired by Vern Redekop’s From Violence to Blessing)
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
The paradigm of
Perceptional Violence
(hate-speech)
Conscious
Unconscious
Perceptional
Embodied
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Perceptional Violence
Internal circularity reinforced by external stimuli
Perceptional
Circularity
Social
Environment
Embodied
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Pre-conditions:




Severe economic crisis with high unemployment rate
among young men;
Resentment about perceived historic injustices.
Institutional weakness: competing loyalties in the
power structure;
Power struggle in the elite: opportunity for marginal
leaders to move to the center.
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Two powerful emotions create the building cell of hate
H
F
A
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Dissemination of hate by media increases the
intensity of replication
H2
D
F
A
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Dissemination of H contributes to increased volume
and tension
H2
D
F
A
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Dissemination + political processes lead to exponential
increase in volume and tension
Hx
D
P
F
A
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Manipulation
Infiltration of new content through:




Use of core code-words
Use of derivative ideological constructs (storiesbuilding-blocks)
Use of visual, audio, and other sensory symbols
Main principle: unity of theme & coordination of
diversification
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Engineering the “virus”
1. hate propaganda replaces the content of an old stereotype with a new
political content;
2. covers the old-form-new-content unit with an emotion-layer (gateopener)
Stereotype
New content
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Engineering the “virus”
1. hate propaganda replaces the content of an old stereotype with a new
political content;
2. covers the old-form-new-content unit with an emotion-generating layer
(opens the gate)
Emotion-generating
layer
Stereotype
New content
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Propaganda altering perception through the
unconscious (Nazi propaganda)
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Propaganda altering perception through the
unconscious (Rwanda)
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Altering the unconscious part of the perception
(engineered stereotype with new content)
Unconscious
part
Conscious
part
New content
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Stereotype
Conscious
part
Unconscious
part
New content
overwrites the old
Old content
disappears
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Stereotype
Conscious
part
Unconscious
part
New content
overwrites the old
Harmonizing
Ideology
Old content
disappears
Old content
disappears
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Stereotype
Unconscious
part
Harmonizing
Ideology
Conscious
part
New content
overwrites the old
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Measurement
No collective PV process detected:
political extremism very marginal
Dissemination
by mass media
Collective
Perception
Political reg.
processes
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Measurement
Tension increasing but contained within small units,
political processes controlled, political extremism marginal
Dissemination
Collective
perception
Political reg.
processes
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Measurement
Collective PV reaches circularity: violence erupts
Dissemination
Collective
perception
Political reg.
processes
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
EWM 1 (early-warning-markers: set #1)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
A polarizing hostile attitude (ideology at later stages), based on negative
historically rooted stereotypes; dividing one society in they versus us.
The old content of an existing stereotype replaced with a new content, linked to
current political agenda.
Core of code-words and their derivatives that can be used in hate propaganda of
varied sophistication (at later stages a set of core code-words).
Dehumanization propaganda technique.
Demonization propaganda technique.
Siege mentality propaganda technique.
Accusation in mirror propaganda technique.
Authorization of hate propaganda technique.
Self-victimization propaganda technique.
Conditioning by association propaganda technique.
Rationalization of the irrational and emotional content propaganda technique.
A glorious vision of nation’s future as a liberating mission which may only be
achieved through violence.
The face of the national hero identical with the face of an extremist leader and
his friends.
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Early Cumulative Measurement can detect: tension increasing, units
spreading NER, shortcuts appearing in the political processes, extremism
infiltrating power structures
Combined Measurement Analysis provides assessment of combined impact
of all three factors
Dissemination
Collective
perception
Political reg.
processes
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Preventive and curative measures
Monitoring,
Exposing,
“freezing” h.-s.
Dissemination
Mediation
Law
Collective
perception
Political reg.
processes
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation
Preventing the conflict
C
A
group
mediator
Potential
conflict
B
group
© Peter Zvagulis 2007 presentation