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Research article
First published May 2007

Beyond the Banality of Evil: Three Dynamics of an Interactionist Social Psychology of Tyranny

S. Alexander Haslam and Stephen ReicherView all authors and affiliations
Volume 33, Issue 5
https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167206298570

Abstract

Carnahan and McFarland critique the situationist account of the Stanford prison experiment by arguing that understanding extreme action requires consideration of individual characteristics and the interaction between person and situation. Haslam and Reicher develop this argument in two ways. First, they reappraise historical and psychological evidence that supports the broader “banality of evil” thesis—the idea that ordinary people commit atrocities without awareness, care, or choice. Counter to this thesis, they show that perpetrators act thoughtfully, creatively, and with conviction. Second, drawing from this evidence and the BBC [British Broadcasting Corporation] Prison Study, they make the case for an interactionist approach to tyranny that explains how people are (a) initially drawn to extreme and oppressive groups, (b) transformed by membership in those groups, and (c) able to gain influence over others and hence normalize oppression. These dynamics can make evil appear banal but are far from banal themselves.

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Published In

Volume 33, Issue 5
Pages: 615 - 622
Article first published: May 2007
Issue published: May 2007

Keywords

  1. social identity
  2. interactionism
  3. evil
  4. tyranny
  5. prison study

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PubMed: 17440199

Authors

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S. Alexander Haslam
University of Exeter
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Stephen Reicher
University of St. Andrews
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