Genocides“I couldn’t do this to someone”

(Waller 2006)

Friday 13th February

Outcomes of this lesson Last lesson This lesson Next lesson Evaluated the variations of Milgram’s studies

Must: Identify three different types of genocide

Should: discuss the genocides and relate to Milgram’s study

Could: Evaluate if Milgram’s study really supports what happens in Genocide

The flaws of Milgram’s study

Ethical issues• Beaumrind (1964)• Orne and Holland

(1968)

Workshop for timed assignment

Obedience

• In an authority setting, people feel obliged to follow the orders even if they agree with them or not.. ( Kelman and Hamilton, 1991)

Things to consider…

• How does Milgram’s experiment compare to what is been witnessed in these following genocides?

• What is different?

• Can Milgram justify his findings based on Genocide- that ordinary people are capable of mass killing?

The Armenian Genocide

Pope Francis describing the mass killings of Armenians during World War I as “the first genocide of the twentieth century”

The facts… • The Ottoman empire: one of the most powerful states • Armenians lived as second class citizens- tolerated but less rights• Such as, denied safeguards- state protection and high taxes and lastly inability

to partake in government. • Decline led to political upheaval led to Armenians wanting protection• This ignited suspicions from the ruling Muslim Turks = series of massacres to

scare Armenians - killed 300,000 in retaliation and inflicted enormous loss. • Decline of the empire led to young Turks seizing power and forming the CUP

(committee of union and progress)• Formation of an exclusive Muslim state • WW1 broke out and CUP formed a triple alliance with central powers:

Germany, Austria and Hungry, thus declaring war on Russia and allies, namely France and Great Britain .

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE-XI6blXB0• Handout: ‘Armenian Genocide’

The Cambodian Genocide

A short documentary on the genocide:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IbmjU0U54kCAUTION: SOME DISTURBING IMAGES!!

The Facts…

• Handout:

My Lai Massacre - 1968

• “ Kill anything that moves…”-(My Lai Officer Calley)

• “Destroy the enemy”• !!Sensitive!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDiyqvcIpuc

• !!Sensitive!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSKA_Ce4lBg

• Used Milgram’s experiment as a defence in the trial

Milgram and the ‘Agentic state’

• Handout • individuals act as agents for others• their own consciences are not in control

Problems with Milgram

• No everyone obeys• Le Chambon• Sheltered jewsOpenly defied orders To cooperate with newRegime Less stories of deviance then ObedienceBut to be fair not everyone obeyed in the Milgram study!

Gamson et al (1982): Defiance

• A3 HANDOUT

•

Baumrind (1964)Orne and Holland (1968)

• A3 handout

Any other criticisms with Milgram:

• Thomas Merton ‘ One of the most disturbing facts that came out of the Eichmann trial was that a psychiatrist pronounced him perfectly sane. I do not doubt it at all , and that is precisely why I find it so disturbing . If all the Nazis has been psychotics… their appalling cruelty would have been in some sense easier to understand…’ (Thomas Merton, Reflections)