Can strong personalities be changed?
Although socialization continues through our life, we do not go through many radical changes. Adults build on what they already have learned. However, sometimes major changes in attitude and behavior can occur. These changes are inconsistent with ones upbringing.
This process is known as resocialization.
This process is known as resocialization.
Moderate resocialization that occurs replacing former values with new ones are
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Extreme or radical resocialization that occurs to get them to confess to something they did not do or to change their political beliefs and self identity. (China, Russia started for Communism)
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The technique essentially breaks down the prisoner’s former personality, creating the confusion and helplessness of childhood. It then offers hope and a new and approved way of putting the pieces back together again with a socialization technique.
- Total control
- Uncertainty
- Isolation
- Torture
- Physical weakening
- Personal humiliation
- Certainty of guilt
Brainwashing = Radical resocialization
Activity
Should someone be held accountable for their own actions if they are brainwashed by another and do something illegal or unethical?
1) Get into groups (up to 5 people)
2) Open this Document or get a hard copy
3) Answer the questions on the first sheet
4) Take a look at the ten scenarios below. Decide whether or not the person within the scenario should be held accountable for his or her actions with support from what you have read about resocialization and brainwashing.
2) Open this Document or get a hard copy
3) Answer the questions on the first sheet
4) Take a look at the ten scenarios below. Decide whether or not the person within the scenario should be held accountable for his or her actions with support from what you have read about resocialization and brainwashing.
Scenario 1
Students are participating in a lesson that conducted a series of exercises in his classroom emphasizing discipline and community. As this lesson last for about a week, students start to apply the lesson outside the classroom, stating that people who do not follow the movement were reported. Some students became violent in these actions by beating up non-members. Should those students be held responsible? |
Scenario 2
Soldiers are ordered to go into a town that commanders believe is a strong hold for the enemy forces and kill all the occupants. They are also told that all civilians were vacated from the town. Once the soldiers start their mission, many notice that the town is full of older men, women and children. They carry out their mission anyways leaving more than 300 civilians dead and many of the women's bodies gang raped and mutilated. Should the soldiers be held responsible for their actions? (Reminder: to disobey an order in combat can be punishable by death) |
Scenario 3
A man is deceived and black mailed in to having sex with a woman. Later, the woman claims that she was raped by this man. Who should be held responsible for the incident? More Info |
Scenario 4
A girl was kidnapped at the age of 19 by a radical group. After being isolated and threatened with death, the girl showed support for the group by making propaganda announcements and participating in illegal activity including a bank robbery. She was later arrested. Should she be held responsible for the crimes? |
Scenario 5
Armed forces go into a town that houses rebels and the commander is tasked with finding information that might lead to the resistance. The armed forces attack the rebels and bring forth the rebel leader. The commander of the armed forces tries to get information out of the rebel leaders but in the end fails and has the rebel leader executed. The commander then orders the rest of the soldiers to kill the remaining rebels and villagers. Should the commander be held responsible for his/her actions? |
Scenario 6
A man has a premonition that his wife will die in child birth. Because he loves her so dearly, he looks at every solution to try to stop this future tragedy. In the end, he pledges himself to a teacher who promises to teach the man how to save his wife if he joins his cause and do as he ask. In pledging to the teacher, the man is then tasked to murder his teacher's enemies which include many children. In the end, the man fails to save his wife from dying in child birth but continuous to serve the teacher and destroy the teacher's enemies. Should the man be held responsible for his actions? |
Scenario 7
A man starts to teach about his ideas on religion. Many people start to follow him. One of the leader's beliefs is that a war is coming and a precursor to it involves the murder of certain people. The members of this family follow through with this idea and commit many murders. Should the members of the family be held responsible? |
Scenario 8
A man volunteers for an experiment and suffers extreme memory loss. After a couple encounters with the CIA, the man comes to find out he was an assassin. He also had failed his recent assassination mission. Should the man be held responsible for his actions? |