Hitler and Sociology
Most people would agree with doing something horrific to another person, since it is easier to conform, than to fight, people tend to protect themselves before protecting a stranger. Stanley Milgram put a study together to prove that Germans are more likely to be obedient to authority then American are. The study was called “If Hitler Asked You to Electrocute a Stranger, Would You? Probably. ” Milgram explains the character aspects of why people listen to authority and why they afraid not to.Social structure and the organization of society have a powerful affect on people.
Milgrams set out to New Haven to start the study ad later on planed to go to Germany to do the study on the society there. Stanley wanted to prove that Germans are more obedient then Americans are. He started this study in New Haven then planned on going to Germany but while in New Haven he realized Americans could be just as obedient as Germans can be.Yet the Germans did help Hitler on his act against the Jewish people living in Germany. In his study he realized that the charter flows in the way that the society has control over the people. Germans obey without questions when Americans questions why they should do something. How Hitler had control over the Germans relates to how parents and the government take control to an extent.
As children we learn to listen to our parents and do what they ask of us. And if we don’t we get punished in some way.Our parents try to teach us at a young age to obey authority. Also the government has set rules for citizens saying what they are aloud to do. But the rules they set are to keep citizens safe and away from harms way. Everyone does things they don’t exactly want to do but that is part of life yet that doesn’t mean that people have to go and kill people since they know it is wrong but people are so worried about what will happen if they don’t do it or if they will be accepted.People can be so obedient because they are afraid of what will happen to themselves and a lot of times they don’t care about what will happen to other people.
People love to be accepted and have people like them and if they don’t do what people tell them to dot they might be cut out of the group. The consequences that can happen if one doesn’t listen or do what they are told brings the fear of punishment and isolation. People can be amazed at the things someone might do to just be accepted and not lose people.
