Neo-Nazism: Conflict and Power Theories Essay

The phenomenon of Neo-Nazism is a despicable yet evident element of the contemporary social and political reality, which calls for the discussion of its source and implications. In his speech, Christian Picciolini explains the phenomenon with the help of three key theories, which include the Social Conflict Theory as an appeal to economic issues, the Modern Conflict Theory as a reference to class-related confrontations, and the Theory of Power (Pomeranz, 2017). The specified approaches allow viewing Neo-Nazism as a source of economic or cultural discontent, as well as a combination of factors.

It is extraordinarily easy to view hate groups and the people that represent them as inherently evil. However, understanding their motives is the first step toward helping members of hate groups to reconsider their viewpoints. By claiming that the specified groups crave “identity, community, and purpose,” Picciolini posits that hate group members are driven by internalized contempt and the need for social belonging (Picciolini, 2017). In other words, hate group members are deeply unhappy, yet unable to recognize the source of their discontent, they channel it into hatred toward others.

Introducing hate group members to change is a complicated process. Picciolini uses cognitive dissonance as the means of accessing hate group members. Specifically, Picciolini contrasts different ideas and philosophies, combining the notions and concepts that might seem incompatible at first. As a result, the experience of cognitive dissonance dissuades his interlocutors from following the principles of the Neo-Nazi rhetoric.

Moreover, the described approach allows them to recognize every nonsensical aspect of Neo-Nazi ideas and, thus admit their groundlessness (Picciolini, 2017). The specified approach makes it possible for people to revisit their perception of interactions between people from different backgrounds and accept the notions of mutual respect, cross-cultural communication, and diversity as essential components of modern society.

References

Picciolini, C. (2017). My descent into America’s neo-Nazi movement – And how I got out. Web.

Pomeranz, A. M. (2017). My psychology. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.