Solidarity degenerates into fear-driven obedience when followers forfeit independent judgment

Evidence

A particular disquiet and rage were caused by his hypothesis that cruelty is not committed by cruel individuals, but by ordinary men and women trying to acquit themselves well of their ordinary duties; and his findings, that while cruelty correlates but poorly with the personal characteristics of its perpetrators, it correlates very strongly indeed with the relationship of authority and subordination, with our normal, daily encountered, structure of power and obedience. ‘The person who, with inner conviction, loathes stealing, killing, and assault, may find himself performing these acts with relative ease when commanded by authority. Behaviour that is unthinkable in an individual who is acting on his own may be executed without hesitation when carried out under orders. — Zygmunt Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, 434 (#expands, via linked claim)

What is clear from current research is that the pervasiveness of racial discrimination (i.e., the universal context of racism) has a generally adverse impact on psychological well-being. Although distancing oneself from the outgroup (i.e., strengthening ties to the ingroup) can have positive psychological benefits for targets of discrimination, as Allport suggested, this can lead to outgroup prejudice, which may exacerbate the negativity of interracial relations. For example, Blacks might take solace in segregating themselves from Whites (and may feel completely justified in doing so), but self-protective behaviors can undermine opportunities for Blacks to disconfirm negative stereotypes possessed by Whites (and vice versa). — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1072 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Self-protective ingroup solidarity can backfire by preventing stereotype disconfirmation — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 1072; Intelligent judgement compensates excluded instincts by resisting social force — Theodor W. Adorno, Minima Moralia: Reflections from…, 219; Duty-driven obedience, not personality, predicts cruelty under authority — Zygmunt Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, 434 (+11 more)

Broader Connections

• Duty-driven obedience, not personality, predicts cruelty under authority #expands (0.85) — Zygmunt Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, 434
• Self-protective ingroup solidarity can backfire by preventing stereotype disconfirmation #complicates (0.80) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1072
• Group anonymity and emotional arousal override individual moral judgment #corroborates (0.80) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 435
• Demagogues exploit anxious followers by externalizing hatred onto outgroups #expands (0.80)
• Obscuring the causal link between action and suffering sharply raises obedience #corroborates (0.78) — Zygmunt Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, 440
• Intelligent judgement compensates excluded instincts by resisting social force #complicates (0.75) — Theodor W. Adorno, Minima Moralia, 219
• The reflexive impulse to mirror others is part of our collective affliction #expands (0.75) — Naomi Klein, Doppelganger, 714
• Small-unit loyalty embedded in familiarity produces courage under fire #complicates (0.72) — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 953
• Belief reversal on authority command distinguishes dynamic authoritarians from followers #complicates (0.72)