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Specification:
Teacher themes Anthropology, sociology, psychology and anyone interested in what drives human behaviour – particularly transgressions of social norms
Links to Human sciences, Politics, K&K
Relevant BQ Foundations, Spin
Key terms and ideas Political vs. emotional events, Misinformation, Manipulated, Radicalisation rabbit holes, Transgressing social norms, Sense of connection, An “Other”, Riffraff vs. Rational actor theory, Joyous, Power, Unmaking the rules, Marginalised people
Investigating Issues Civil conflict
Exhibition Prompt 17 (seek); possible object – an image of the British (or other) riots during 2024
Click to read the article below and answer the questions:
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What causes people to carry out violent acts of protest, such as the ones that have been spreading throughout the UK over the last couple of weeks? Write down and discuss possible theories
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Why is it difficult to ascertain the exact reasons for human behaviour?
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From the source: Find out about the basic facts of the recent street violence in the UK. Then use the article (and other ones if you have time) to find out what role the following factors played in the violence: a) Political factors; b) Misinformation; c) The Climate; d) Proving one’s group and individual identity; e) An “Other”; f) Joy and exhilaration
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What are the ‘riffraff’ and ‘rational’ actor theories, and how does their validity depend on our perspectives?
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To wrap up: How should we prioritise different factors when we try to explain human behaviour? What makes doing so difficult? Think in terms of what might undermine our ability to be objective.
Michael Dunn, theoryofknowledge.net
