OBEDIENCE: SITUATIONAL EXPLANATIONS

• 1. Agentic state (act on behalf of another person)


  MILGRAM proposed that obedience to destructive authority occurs because a person becomes an ‘agent’, someone who acts for or in place of another. 

  In an agentic state a person feels no personal responsibility for their actions.
• Autonomous state (not an agent) = 


  ‘Autonomy’ means to be independent and free. So a person in this state behaves according to their principles and feels responsible for thei actions.
• Agentic shift (moving to agentic state)

  Th shift from autonomy to to being an ‘agent’. MILGRAM suggested that this occurs when we perceive someone else as an authority figure. This person has power because of the position in a social hierarchy. 
• Binding factors (reduce ‘moral strain’) 


  Are aspects of a situation that allow the person to ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and reduce the ‘moral strain’ they feel. 

  MILGRAM proposed a number of strategies the individual uses, such as shifting the responsibility to the victim or denying the damage they are doing to the victims.
• 2. LEGITIMACY OF AUTHORITY

  (We obey people further up a social hierarchy) =

  Most societies are structured hierarchically. People in certain positions hold authority over the rest of us, E.G parents, teachers, police officers, nightclub bouncers. 
• Authorities have legitimacy through society’s agreement 


  The power that authorities wield is legitimate because it is agreed by society. Most of us accept that authority figures should exercise social power over others to allow society to function smoothly.
• We hand control over to authority figures

  People with legitimate authority have the power to punish others, we give up some independence to people we trust to exercise authority properly. We learn to accept authority during childhood (parents, teachers, etc).
• Leaders use legitimate powers for destructive purposes

  History has shown that some leaders (E.G Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot) use legitimate authority destructively, ordering people to behave in cruel and dangerous ways.