Article

Entrepreneurs of hate and entrepreneurs of solidarity : social identity as a basis for mass communication

Stephen Reicher, Nick Hopkins, Mark Levine, Rakshi Rath

• International review of the Red Cross, Vol. 87, no. 860, December 2005, p. 621-637

English

The authors draw upon the principles of the social identity tradition in order to elaborate a psychological model of mass communication. This centres on the way in which people construe their social identities and the meanings of events for these identities. They then go on to look at the ways in which these principles have been employed both to mobilize collective support for genocide and collective resistance to genocide. They conclude that it is critical to understand these principles and to apply them effectively in order to promote social harmony and the defence of vulnerable groups.

• Full text

• International review of the Red Cross / ICRC
• International review of the Red Cross [Vol. 87, no. 860, December 2005] / ICRC