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Disloyal, Deluded, Dangerous: How Supporters of Violence or Separatism Discredit Their Political Opponents

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Book cover Discourse, Peace, and Conflict

Part of the book series: Peace Psychology Book Series ((PPBS))

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Abstract

Where there is conflict between groups, members argue with each other over the correct course of action. While some advocate increased violence or separation between the groups, others argue for peace, tolerance, or interdependence. Advocates of violence or separation engage in discursive strategies to discredit these ingroup opponents, in which they claim to represent the true interests and spirit of the group while their opponents are dismissed are selfish, disloyal, subservient, weak, or ignorant. Methods of discrediting opponents act as a form of social pressure, defining a set of social norms, punishing dissenters, and warning others against publicly adopting opposing positions. This chapter examines the discursive practices used to discredit opponents in a range of current and historical conflict situations. A distinction will be drawn between ‘mild’ and ‘strong’ discrediting practices.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Thanks to Ruaridh McDermott for finding these three SNP extracts.

  2. 2.

    At the time of writing, the NRA website claimed nearly five million members in the USA although this figure is disputed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK

    W. Mick L. Finlay

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  1. W. Mick L. Finlay
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Correspondence to W. Mick L. Finlay .

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  1. School of Psychological and Social Sciences, York St John University, York, UK

    Stephen Gibson

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Finlay, W.M.L. (2018). Disloyal, Deluded, Dangerous: How Supporters of Violence or Separatism Discredit Their Political Opponents. In: Gibson, S. (eds) Discourse, Peace, and Conflict. Peace Psychology Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99094-1_5

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