GlobalMedia: Sam Keen, 9/11, War and Metaphor - Part 2/2 (U12-P1) [VID] Sp14

So, dehumanization of the enemy was done in the past all over the world.  Does it still happen in the 21st century?  That's the question that my co-author and I asked in our study of editorial cartoons of bin Laden and the Taliban after the events of 9/11.

Hart, W. B. & Hassencahl, F. (2002). Dehumanizing the enemy in editorial cartoons. In B. Greenberg (Ed.). Communication and Terrorism: Public and Media Responses to 9/11 (pp. 137-155). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

The study began with the observation of the way that President Bush talked about the enemy and how editorial cartoonists subsequently depicted the Taliban and bin Laden.

NBC News: Days of Crisis: George Bush and 9/11
See 20:45-24:55 using the above link or see video clip below.
In this clip what dehumanizing metaphors are used?




In short, our study found that people (U.S. leaders and editorial cartoonist, in this case) continued to use the dehumanizing visual metaphors identified by Keen -- enemy-as-animal, enemy-as-barbarian, enemy-as-criminal, etc.

We closed our book chapter with the following important note.

Does this process of dehumanization continue?

President Jimmy Carter interview from April 9, 2013.  Korea = "Axis of Evil"?

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

From EuroNews April 5, 2013



If you are interested, see "Anonymous Can't Stop North Korea, but They Can Turn Kim Jong-un into a Pig" (The Atlantic Wire).

This recent example also ties into our discussion of the role of social media in war-time communication.



Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.

GlobalMedia: Sam Keen, 9/11, War and Metaphor - Part 1/2 (U12-P1) [VID] Sp14

Why is it that during times of war people see the enemy of as animals, as monsters, as barbarians, as devil or death?  Put differently, why do people dehumanize the enemy?  What purpose does it serve?

Social psychologist Sam Keen offers some answers in his book and a doc based on the book.  Here's the beginning of the doc.  I'd encourage you to see the rest.



How do we dehumanize?  Why do we dehumanize?  Why do we make the enemy less than human?

According to Keen, there are a dozen or so common ways that the enemy is seen.

• Enemy-as-Animal, 
• Enemy-as-Barbarian, 
• Enemy-as-Death, 
• Enemy-as-Enemy-of-God, 
• Enemy-as-Criminal, 
• Enemy-as-All-the-Same
• etc.

Keen argues that the enemy is dehumanized because it justifies the killing of the enemy. If the enemy is not a civilized human like us, then, according to Keen, the guilt associated with killing then enemy is greatly lessened and killing is easier.


Faces of the Enemy: Reflections of the Hostile Imagination : The Psychology of Enmity by Sam Keen









During World War II the Nazis dehumanized Jewish people. Notice the dehumanization of Jewish people in the Nazi propaganda film called the "Eternal Jews".  Watch at least the first five minutes of the film.  What was the purpose of this dehumanization of Jewish people?

Just in a 5 minute clip from about 13:45 to 18:37, what dehumanizing metaphors are used?




If you are interested, for more a detailed study of the dehumanizing metaphors used in The Eternal Jew, see:

Hassencahl F. & Hart, W. B. (March, 2013). A fantasy-theme analysis of Der Ewige Jude (The Eternal Jew): From WWII Nazi propaganda to YouTube today. A paper presented at the national Popular Culture Association convention, Washington, DC.

Note: See in relationship between dehumanizing an enemy in war time and racism?


Spot any dehumanization in the following U.S. training film from World War II?

The following is a 1945 World War II propaganda film released by the U.S. War Department entitled "Know Your Enemy: Japan"   Who watched this film?  What was the purpose of the film?





Even Dr. Seuss took part in the propaganda effort.  See the presentation "Dr. Seuss Goes to War:The World War II Editorial Cartons of Theodor Seuss Geisel" (see specifically 35:00-44:00).


Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel









Other examples from WWII, Cold War, etc.:

----------


Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.

MediaTech: The Evolution of MediaTech and You: Genes, Memes and Temes (U12-P1) Fa13

Previous posts have offered theories for how technologies come to be and develop over time.  We've discussed, for example, Winston's model and we've discussed the Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations.  We now turn to our last theory -- technological evolution.


This theory is based on the biological theory of evolution.  One of the best explanations of biological evolution and the mechanism that drives evolution is found in Carl Sagan's Cosmos video series which was based on the book Cosmos.

As you are watching this clip from Cosmos, be sure to identify and be able to explain the mechanism that drives evolution.  Does this mechanism explain technological evolution?



Now take those basic ideas of biological evolution and see how they apply to technological evolution.  What do Kelly and Blackmore add to this theoretical perspective?

First, "Kevin Kelly on how technology evolves"
(You may want to start the Kelly video at about 8:20.)

 Second, "Susan Blackmore on memes and 'temes'" Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below. Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog. See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.