Focusing on unique perpetrators obscures the social forces that define them

Evidence

By focusing on the “perpetrators” as if they were somehow unique in history, Goldhagen diverts attention from the social forces that defined who the perpetrators were. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 959

Categorization

• XREF: Relevant to Glick’s framing of scapegoating as a systemic group process rather than a matter of individual pathology. — connects to: Perpetrators deflect systemic wrongdoing onto isolated bad apples — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 1431; Evil actions usually stem from ordinary people caught in social forces, not evil individuals — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3899; Terrorism stems from small-group dynamics rather than abnormal personalities — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4179 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Evil actions usually stem from ordinary people caught in social forces, not evil individuals #corroborates (0.95) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3899
• Ordinary healthy people become cruel perpetrators under conducive social roles. #corroborates (0.95) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 681
• Perpetrators deflect systemic wrongdoing onto isolated bad apples #expands (0.85) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 1431
• Terrorism stems from small-group dynamics rather than abnormal personalities #exemplifies (0.85) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4179