Psychology Of The Bystander During The Holocaust - 1209 Words

Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Psychology of the Bystander during the Holocaust Cognitive categorization, varying worldviews and self-image are important subjects that have gained unprecedented momentum in the contemporary study of holocaust. Scholars have increasingly demonstrated devotion into the understanding of the constellation that existed among the Nazis, Church, German professionals, and above all, the non-Jews communities. Most of the academic studies have focused their attention on the psychology of the perpetrator, herein referred to as the Nazis. They have analyzed what drove the Nazi regime to annihilate the Jews community. However, significant gaps still need to be filled with regard to the role played by on-lookers or bystanders in enhancing the holocaust. It was not only a case of the neighbour turning the perpetrator of senseless murder, but one in which the neighbour refused to open the door for fellow neighbours in times of need. This treatise explores the psychology of the bystander with regard to how non-Jews communities, institutions such as the church, and nations reacted to the holocaust. Writing on political psychology, Monroe (2008) identifies the confluence of forces that work together to create genocide. He defines genocide as ‘intentional destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group’ (Monroe 669). Some of these factors include structural political factors which entail totalitarian administrations, political opposition or lackShow MoreRelatedWill You Practice What You Preach? Essay example1493 Words   |  6 Pagesof bullying, just how responsible is a bystander to act? We don’t have to put ourselves at danger necessarily, but calling the police or just saying, â€Å"Stop that!† could go a long way. The choice to act or not to act when crisis strikes lies within a person’s psyche. This dilemma is a widely known trend called the bystander effect. As authors and psychological researchers Jason Marsh and Dacher Keltner describe in their article â€Å"We Are All Bystanders,† â€Å"When study participants thought thereRead MoreCauses of Genocide Essay1675 Words   |  7 Pagespolarization and the psychological effect of schadenfreude. These influences can be observed in Art Spiegelman’s comic book, Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, which portrays the experiences of Art’s father, Vladek, through the prototypical example of genocide, the Holocaust. The history of genocides, and especially complete genocides, carries an inherent subjectivity due to the lack of victims to provide their point of view and the position of power over history the perpetrators assume. This power allows for benefitsRead MorePsychological Effects of the Holocaust3873 Words   |  16 PagesMind Over Matter The Holocaust was one of the most horrendous events ever to take place in our world’s history. 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My belief on an individual’s ability to rapidly change their mindset was reassured in college level courses. This was more so finding the understanding of why a person acts the way that they do. I was able to get this is in my psychology courses for my minorRead MoreHolocaust, The Rwandan Genocide And The Asian Genocide1902 Words   |  8 PagesPsychology Behind Genocides â€Å"How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don’t think† (Hitler, Mein Kampf). As time passed, there has been many times in history where a genocide has occurred. A genocide is a one-sided massacre from one party toward an ethnic or different group of people. As genocides occurred, questions such as â€Å"Why do people kill?† and â€Å"How can people allow these atrocities to occur?† are asked. 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(Yarmove 245) James Evans believes that since the story was written in the immediate aftermath of World War II and the holocaust, it raised (and can still raise) important questions concerning ‘the power of mass psychology, the possibility that blind adherence to tradition will forestall judgment, and the ease with which responsibility can beRead MoreBlind Obedience in Shirley Jacksons The Lottery Essay2503 Words   |  11 Pageshappen in Nazi Germany but not in the United States. . . . Jackson’s story help[s] to create the specter of a holocaust in the United States. (Yarmove 245) James Evans believes that since the story was written in the immediate aftermath of World War II and the holocaust, it raised (and can still raise) important questions concerning ‘the power of mass psychology, the possibility that blind adherence to tradition will forestall judgment, and the ease with which responsibility