Scapegoating Practice

A Scapegoating Tactic is a rhetocical tactice that directs blame or negative treatment toward a specific target group or individual (scapegoat) to deflect from underlying issues or gain social advantage.

• Context:
  • It can (often) select a Vulnerable Target (for unmerited blame or criticism).
  • It can (often) create False Narratives (about the target's malicious intent).
  • ...
  • It can range from being Individual Scapegoating to being a Group Scapegoating.
  • It can range from being Spontaneous Scapegoating to being a Systematic Scapegoating.
  • It can range from being Implicit Scapegoating to being a Explicit Scapegoating.
  • ...
  • It can deflect Responsibility (from actual causes or culpable parties).
  • It can unite an In-Group (against a common enemy).
  • It can exploit existing Social Prejudices (to make accusations more credible).
  • It can simplify Complex Problems (through target identification).
  • It can justify Discriminatory Actions (through moral displacement).
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • A Wallace's University Stand (by George Wallace in 1963) that staged theatrical resistance to integration (exemplifying scapegoating through performative defiance).
  • A Father Coughlin's Banking Speech (by Charles Coughlin in 1936) that blamed Jewish bankers for Depression (showing scapegoating through conspiracy theory).
  • A McCarthy's Communist Hunt (by Joseph McCarthy in 1950) that targeted government employees as traitors (demonstrating scapegoating through political persecution).
  • A Nazi Propaganda Campaign (by Joseph Goebbels in 1933) that blamed Jewish people for economic hardship (illustrating scapegoating through systematic demonization).
  • A Salem Witch Trials (by Cotton Mather in 1692) that accused social outsiders of witchcraft (showing scapegoating through moral panic).
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • A Logical Appeal Tactic that uses reasoned arguments to convince.
  • A Moral Authority Tactic that invokes ethical principles rather than blame.
  • A Unity Appeal Tactic that emphasizes shared responsibility instead of division.
  • A Personal Testimony Tactic that uses first-hand experience rather than accusation.
  • A Statistical Evidence Tactic that relies on data rather than targeting groups.
• See: Social Practice, Fall Guy, Whipping Boy, Identified Patient, Psychological Projection, Social Influence.

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References

2015

• (Wikipedia, 2015) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/scapegoating Retrieved:2015-2-21.
  • Scapegoating (from the verb "to scapegoat") is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame as a scapegoat. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals (e.g. “he did it, not me!"), individuals against groups (e.g., "I couldn't see anything because of all the tall people"), groups against individuals (e.g., "Jane was the reason our team didn't win"), and groups against groups.

    A scapegoat may be an adult, sibling, child, employee, peer, ethnic or religious group, or country. A whipping boy, identified patient or “fall guy” are forms of scapegoat.

1945

• (Orwell, 1945) ⇒ G. Orwell. (1945). “Animal Farm: A Fairy Story." Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN:9780547370224

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