Autoritærianisme
Jeg genopdagede for nylig en blog, Orcinus, og inde på den en serie artikler af Sara Robinson om autoritærianisme. Hun begynder serien (klik her) med et resume og en anmeldelse af John Deans bog, Conservatives Without Conscience. Jeg var af flere grunde meget forundret over denne genopdagelse. For det første var jeg ikke klar over, at John Dean, som blev berømt i den kendte Watergateskandale, og som ikke var i familie med mig, så vidt jeg ved), skrev om autoritærianisme. For det andet har jeg ikke læst noget i den akademiske litteratur om autoritærianisme (se Robert Altemeyer) i årevis, sikkert ikke siden jeg tog min kandidatuddannelse, og for det tredje er jeg forundret, igen, af det meget anseelige overlap, der er mellem begrebet autoritærianisme og begrebet psykopati, (som er det område, som jeg er interesseret i, klik her).


Kommentar: Delvist oversat fra Authoritarianism and Psychopathy
Se også Højreradikalismen er blevet mainstream

Bob Altemeyer skriver i sin bog The Authoritarians at han også anerkender eksistensen af venestreoritenterede autoritære følgere:
"You could have left-wing authoritarian followers as well, who support a revolutionary leader who wants to overthrow the establishment."
Denne artikel slutter med:
"Og jeg må medgive, at selvom dette er et sæt af karakteristika, som kan være overrepræsenteret blandt politisk konservative højrefløjsgrupper og individer, er det ikke alene deres ejendom. Jeg har personligt observeret forbavsende autoritære typer som identificerer sig selv som politisk liberale, og de er fuldstændigt i stand til at samle følgere, som meget vel også kan se sig selv som venstreorienterede. Men denne forklaring af personligheden, kognitiv og adfærdsmæssige mønstre hos autoritære ledere og deres følgere passer fuldstændigt, uanset deres politiske tilhørsforhold.
Man kan finde autoritære følgere inden for mange sammenhænge, der har været nogle på Clintons side:
George Soros: Den skjulte hånd bag 'farve revolutioner'
Why Donald Trump May Be Assassinated
Hvad overser de, der støttede Hillary:
Top 10 Things Hillary Clinton Doesn't Want You to Know
Must Watch!! Hillary Clinton tried to ban this video
Der har været nogle på Donald Trumps side
The Press and Donald Trump's Army of Haters

Og hvad så?
Trump. Right. Okay, the world's gone nuts: Russell Brand The Trews
Lad os se hvad der sker.


I also am reminded of the phenomenon now known as workplace bullying, and especially the situation in which there is a supervisor who regularly targets others for mistreatment (click here for some of my previous writing about this). I have usually viewed that situation through the lens of the professional literatures about psychopathy and narcissism; but it is clear that the social psychology literature about authoritarianism is also very applicable. Here are excerpts from the first part of this series by Sara Robinson:
Authoritarians come in two flavors: leaders and followers. The two tiers are driven by very different motivations; and understanding these differences is the first key to understanding how authoritarian social structures work.

Leaders form just a small fraction of the group. Social scientists refer to this group as having a high social dominance orientation (SDO)... "These are people who seize every opportunity to lead, and who enjoy having power over others," says Dean -- and they have absolutely no qualms about objectifying people and breaking rules to advance their own ambitions. High-SDO personalities tend to emerge very early in life (which suggests at least some genetic predisposition): you probably remember a few from your own sandbox days, and almost certainly have known a few who've made your adult life a living hell as well.

High-SDO people are characterized by four core traits: they are dominating, opposed to equality, committed to expanding their own personal power, and amoral. These are usually accompanied by other unsavory traits, [as well]... High-SDO people are drawn to power, and will seek it ruthlessly and relentlessly, regardless of the consequences to others... [In modern America], we celebrate our most powerful social dominants, pay them obscene salaries, turn them into media stars, and hand over the keys to the empire to them almost gratefully. They have free rein to pursue their ambitions unchecked, with no cultural brakes on their rapacity. They will do whatever they can get away with; and we'll not only let them, but often cheer them on...

While the high-SDO leaders are defined by Dean as dominating, opposed to equality, desirous of personal power, and amoral, right-wing authoritarian followers have a different but very complementary set of motivations. The three core traits that define them are:

1. Submission to authority. "These people accept almost without question the statements and actions of established authorities, and comply with such instructions without further ado" writes Dean. "[They] are intolerant of criticism of their authorities, because they believe the authority is unassailably correct. Rather than feeling vulnerable in the presence of powerful authorities, they feel safer. For example, they are not troubled by government surveillance of citizens because they think only wrongdoers need to be concerned by such intrusions... "

2. Aggressive support of authority. Right-wing followers do not hesitate to inflict physical, psychological, financial, social, or other forms of harm on those they see as threatening the legitimacy of their belief system and their chosen authority figure. This includes anyone they see as being too different from their norm (like gays or racial minorities). It's also what drives their extremely punitive attitude toward discipline and justice...

3. Conventionality. Right-wing authoritarian followers prefer to see the world in stark black-and-white. They conform closely with the rules defined for them by their authorities, and do not stray far from their own communities. This extreme, unquestioning conformity makes them insular, fearful, hostile to new information, uncritical of received wisdom, and able to accept vast contradictions without perceiving the inherent hypocrisy... Conformity also feeds their sense of themselves as more moral and righteous than others...
Enhver som arbejder i vores nuværende kultur og i de forskellige dele af vores kulture, kan se de karakteristika og dynamikker i fuld sving. De er helt klart tilstede i regeringsadministration og store virksomheders arbejdsmiljøer, men de kan også ses i operation i mindre systemer (nærmere hjemmet, for de fleste af os): i vores arbejdsomgivelser, i religiøse samfund, helt afgjort inden for militæret og selvfølgelig i familier. Og jeg må medgive, at selvom dette er et sæt af karakteristika, som kan være overrepræsenteret blandt politisk konservative højrefløjsgrupper og individer, er det ikke alene deres ejendom. Jeg har personligt observeret forbavsende autoritære typer som identificerer sig selv som politisk liberale, og de er fuldstændigt i stand til at samle følgere, som meget vel også kan se sig selv som venstreorienterede. Men denne forklaring af personligheden, kognitiv og adfærdsmæssige mønstre hos autoritære ledere og deres følgere passer fuldstændigt, uanset deres politiske tilhørsforhold.