Group marginality enabled some Germans to resist joining communal devaluation of Jews

Evidence

In the midst of violence and passivity, some people in Germany and Nazioccupied Europe endangered their lives to save Jews. To do so, helpers of German origin had to distance themselves from their group. Some rescuers were marginal to their community: They had a different religious background, were new to the community, or had a parent of foreign birth (London, 1970; Tec, 1986). This perhaps enabled them to maintain an independent perspec­ tive and not join the group’s increasing devaluation of Jews. Many rescuers came from families with strong moral values and held strong moral and hu­ manitarian values themselves, with an aversion to Nazism (London, 1970; Oliner & Oliner, 1988). — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 176

Categorization

• XREF: Reinforces bystander themes from ch11 and the fragility of obedience orientation from ch5 — the rescuers are the rare case where group pressures failed to bind. — connects to: Social marginality freed some bystanders to resist joining group devaluation — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 176; Marginal group members display exaggerated haughtiness toward outsiders — Georg Simmel, The Sociology of Georg Simmel, 6689
• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source

Broader Connections

• Social marginality freed some bystanders to resist joining group devaluation #corroborates (1.00) — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 176
• Marginal group members display exaggerated haughtiness toward outsiders #expands (0.70) — Georg Simmel, The Sociology of Georg Simmel, 6689