INTRODUCTION
Dehumanization is the process of creating a negative image of an out-group, individual or community, so as to make them appear less human and hence denying them basic human essentials and rights. Such extreme rejection leads to a complete lack of emotional and cultural support towards the out-group . In cases of inter-ethnic conflict, the in-group seeks to justify its acts of aggression, give reasoning for the conflict as well as assert a sense of superiority over the out-group in the minds of its own members as well as the members of the victim community . This study aims at studying the effect of dehumanization on violence levels in the context of the Israel/ Palestine conflict and the Middle East Crisis.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Does dehumanization of victims as well as victimizers lead to excessive violence in areas of terrorism and conventional warfare?
BACKGROUND AND HISTORY
There are several avenues that are used to implement the process of dehumanization. These include: a) media and news reporting, b) political policies and discourse, and c) educational institutes. In cases where communities have been dehumanized for extended periods, dehumanization becomes an institutional standard. This paves the way for several inhuman practices that corrupt war tactics, security procedures, prisoner management as well as shattering the basis of a democratic government. Being subjected to inhuman living conditions, and the complete lack of support from the national authorities as well as international communities, drives the victim community to resort to extreme violence.
The purpose of this violence may be to draw attention to their plight and trigger a positive response in the aggressor. However, in most cases, the aggressor in-group is much stronger, a fact known to the out-group. Hence, acts of violence, although serve as expressions of absolute frustration and hopelessness, exact further aggression and oppression. Particularly in the case of the Israel/ Palestine conflict, violent resistance in both camps has led to decades of atrocities and inhuman practices being committed on both sides.
JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM
It is crucial to examine the contribution of dehumanization to excessive violence so that its inverse – humanization – may be explored as a possible solution to the problem.
LITERATURE REVIEW
There have been several studies on the subject o dehumanization per se, analyzing the various aspects of the process and its implications. In the moral context, Kelman noted that, as dehumanized communities do not have a human identity, the victimizer senses no moral obligation to limit violent aggression. His work and findings are supported by Opotow and Bandura . Schwartz and Struch found that differences in pro-social values can also lead to perceptions of a community being less ‘human’ than the other. Essentialization of groups, or considering them to be inhuman because they have categorically different inborn natures and characteristics is also considered a contributor to dehumanization as it automatically assumes that social conditions do not influence the shaping of their character . Alan Fiske explains that in cases where communal sharing binds the in-group, disgust towards the communally different out-group leads to inter-ethnic conflict, as is the case with the Israel/ Palestine conflict. Fiske also mentions that mechanistic dehumanization results in the in-group seeing no relation whatsoever with the out-group. Dehumanization in the Israel/ Palestine conflict context is discussed in depth by Oren and Bar-Tal .
It should be noted that terrorism is not limited to the Islamic world. The Irish republican Army or the IRA has often been categorized as one of the oldest terrorist organizations in the world and has been recruiting new members for decades to carry out acts of violence . The victim groups that have been dehumanized resort to extreme acts of violence even when it will not deliver immediate results. For instance, Hamas suicide bombers not only seek attain political goals but more importantly, send a symbolic message about the plight of Palestinians not just to Israel but the world at large .What pushes a person to give up their life for a purpose that no one is sure about and will likely not be attained? It has been suggested that dehumanized victims who turn into terrorists need to be approached in a humane manner, with government policies being drafted after thoroughly understanding the ‘why’ behind acts of violence and terrorism .
It has even been suggested that Muslims be treated as partners in the fight against terrorism as this may prevent further dehumanization in areas of severe and long term conflict such as Palestine . The European Union, post the 9/11 and London attacks, formed a counter terrorism policy which included the prevention of new conversions towards radicalism and terrorist recruitment . However, this trend of including humanization as part of counter-terrorism is relatively new, with the world still viewing acts of violence and terrorism from a political perspective . Studies into the impact of dehumanization on the growth of terrorist bodies and random acts of extreme violence may pave the way for the inclusion of this aspect into the formation of government policies on counter terrorism.
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
The study will rely on three focus groups, namely: a) Prisoners, b) Families of those who had committed acts of excessive violence, and c) members of political NGOs.
For the first target group – prisoners - the statements of 50 Palestinian prisoners will be randomly selected from databases and analyzed for comments on their treatment and the psychological reaction it invoked. For the second target group – families – 10 families will be randomly selected from both, Israeli and Palestinian sides, and interviewed to collect information to the cause, objective and effect of the acts of violence that members of their family had committed. Finally, for the third target group – political NGOs –institutions that provide psychological support to Israeli soldiers will be approach to statements on the perception of Palestinians in the minds of the soldiers.
The responses of each group will be analyzed to decipher the extent of dehumanization prevalent in the region and its influence as a driver of acts of excessive violence.
PROPOSED CHAPTER OUTLINE
The dissertation has been segregated into six chapters, namely: a) Introduction, b) Literature Review, c) Research Methodology, d) Analysis and Findings, e) , and f) Conclusion.
Chapter One: Introduction
This chapter will provide an overview of the topic of the dissertation including, background, problem statement, the purpose of the study and what it hopes to achieve.
Chapter two: Literature Review
This chapter will review various academic sources, journals and reports that are available on the subject of the dissertation. The literature review will cover definitions and explanations of dehumanization, its various aspects, an analysis of dehumanization in the context of the Israel/ Palestine conflict and an overview of earlier studies on the subject of excessive violence in areas of war, ethnic cleansing and terrorism.
Chapter three: Research Methodology
This chapter outlines the methods used to collect data pertaining to the subject of the dissertation.
Chapter four: Analysis and Findings
This chapter contains a detailed analysis of the data gathered through research and literature review. The outcome of the investigation will be explained in detail with reference to the research objectives and dissertation subject.
Chapter Five: Discussion
In this chapter of the dissertation, the findings of the study and their implications will be discussed in the context of existing studies and theories of dehumanization and excessive violence.
Chapter Six: Conclusion
In the final chapter, concluding statements will be made.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND APPENDIX
Bibliography
Argomaniz, J. (2011). The EU and COunter-Terrorism: Politics, Ploty and Policies. London: Routledge.
Bandura, A. (2002). Selective moral disengagement in the exercise of moral agency. Journal of moral education , 31, 101-119.
Bar-Tal, D. (2000). From intractable conflict through conflict resolution to reconciliation: Psychlogical analysis. Political Psychology , 21, 122.
Currie, M. (2011). Dissident Irish Republicanism. (M. Currie, & M. Taylor, Eds.) New York: Continuum.
English, R. (2009). Terrorism: How to respond. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fiske, A. P. (1991). Structures of social life: The four elementary forms of human relations. New York: Free Press.
Haslam, N. (2006). Dehumanization: An Integrative Review. Personality and Social Psychology Review , 10 (3), 252-264.
Kelman, H. C. (1976). Violence without restraint: Reflections on the dehumanization of victims and victimizers. In G. N. Kren, & L. H. Rappoport, Varieties of psychohistory (pp. 282-314). New York: Springer.
Lambert, R. (2011). Countering al-Qaida in London: Police ad Muslims in Partnership. London: Hurst.
Opotow, S. (1990). Moral exclusion and injustice: An introduction. Journal of social issues , 46, 1-20.
Oren, N., & Bar-Tal, D. (2006). The detrimental dynamics of delegitimizations in intractable conflicts: The Israeli-Palestinian Case. International Journal of Intercultural Relations .
Richardson, L. (2006). What terrorists Want: Understanding the enemy, containing the threat. London: John Murray.
Rothbart, M., & Taylor, M. (1992). Category labels and social reality: do we view social categories as natural kinds? In G. R. Semin, & K. Fiedler, Language and social recognition (pp. 11-36). London: Sage.
Schwartz, S. H., & Struch, N. (1989). Values, stereotypes, and inter-group antagonism. In D. Bar-Tal, C. F. Grauman, A. W. Kruglanski, & W. Stroebe, Stereotypes and prejudice: Changing conceptions (pp. 151-167). New York: Springer-Verlag.
Singh, R. (2011). Hamas and Suidice Terrorism: Multi-causal and Multi-level Approahces. London: Routledge.
