The Encyclopedia
of World Problems
& Human Potential

Scapegoats

Nature

Scapegoats have been frequently used to divert anger or frustration for purposes of maintaining political domination over a variety of subordinate groups.

Incidence

Scapegoats are frequently individuals, but may also be ethnic, racial, religious, linguistic, class or political groupings which are blamed collectively by another group or groups for economic hardship, political oppression, discrimination and other major ills. Elitist groups tend to play off discontented subordinate groups against one another. This was particularly practised under colonial rule, and against Jews in Czarist Russia and Nazi Germany. Gipsies are also used as scapegoats.

Broader

Social injustice

Conflict among minority groups

Narrower

Lynching

Antisemitism

Undesirable gypsies

Underprivileged minorities

Aggravates

Genocide ^{[in 6 loops]}

Persecution ^{[in 72 loops]}

Génocide

Genocidio

Aggravated by

Social discrimination

Miscarriage of justice

Investigatory malpractice

Haphazard forms of social ethics

Promotion of negative images of opponents

Exclusion of dissenters from decision making processes

Strategy(ies)

Scapegoating

Relieving stress in human beings

Reference(s)

Florman, Samuel C: Blaming Technology: the irrational search for scapegoats

Type

(F) Fuzzy exceptional problems

About the Encyclopedia

The Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential is a unique, experimental research work of the Union of International Associations. It is currently published as a searchable online platform with profiles of world problems, action strategies, and human values that are interlinked in novel and innovative ways. These connections are based on a range of relationships such as broader and narrower scope, aggravation, relatedness and more. By concentrating on these links and relationships, the Encyclopedia is uniquely positioned to bring focus to the complex and expansive sphere of global issues and their interconnected nature.

The initial content for the Encyclopedia was seeded from UIA’s Yearbook of International Organizations. UIA’s decades of collected data on the enormous variety of association life provided a broad initial perspective on the myriad problems of humanity. Recognizing that international associations are generally confronting world problems and developing action strategies based on particular values, the initial content was based on the descriptions, aims, titles and profiles of international associations.

About UIA

The Union of International Associations (UIA) is a research institute and documentation centre, based in Brussels. It was established in 1907, by Henri la Fontaine (Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 1913), and Paul Otlet, a founding father of what is now called information science.

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Scapegoats

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