Five Faces Of Oppression/Milgram Experiment/Power (Chapter5)

                                                                                                                            Merida Angelina~


       After watching the Milgram experiment I have to say I was disgusted by what I heard/seen.
In 1961 social psychologist Stanley Milgram did an experiment to determine how law abiding people will give a stranger lethal electric shock in the name of science. A total of twelve individuals of different age groups, gender, ascribed status/achieved statuses participated in what they were told was a memory test, when really the test was to determine how they display obedience to authority.
In this test the participants took on the role as teacher, conducting a memory test to the student (which actually is an actor) when the student is wrong, specific orders are given from the professor ( another actor) to carry out negative punishment using voltage shocks that range from 15-250 volts.

       After reading the article "The Five Faces Of Oppression" I was able to identify the social perspective/dynamic within this controversial experiment. During this study, the individuals were actually brought back to see/visualize this setting and how he was being strapped into a chair, they were also exposed to the shock generator. Upon getting their instructions from the professor they are told that once he gets the answer wrong they are to administer negative punishment in which all participants did. Milgram wanted to see in this procedure wether or not the teacher would stop doing electrical shocks knowing they are inflicting pain or continue to carry out orders and listen to the professor. Surprisingly nine out of twelve participants continued to shock regardless of hearing the man in pain, in distress and unwilling to further comply. Though there was actually no harm being done, its prerecorded the participants have no knowledge of this.

     What was the most interesting/quite chilling dynamic within this entire experiment process was the willingness, loyalty, for participants to comply; even more scarier at some point they know, have a sense it is wrong, however remaining obedient to the professor thus enforcing negative excruciating/painful punishment (coercive power) on the individual that partakes in the study also.  As stated in "Five Faces Of Oppression" one type of oppression the students demonstrate  through their actions is powerlessness, they all at one point felt a sense of powerlessness because of their lowered status, not wanting to be insubordinate to the professor (legitimate power); they carried out this unethical act of violence which is also another form of oppression, even when they doubted themselves they went into a state of "Culture of Silence. Participant Philip, Forty one year old pianist was the only one that after shocking a couple of times, when he heard the chilling sound of the man in pure agony, used his better judgement and ejected himself from the experiment even though he know it meant breaking the norms and codes of respect that was a given to be implemented, though it was never verbalized. However Emma a nineteen year old Bio student seemed heartless, or maybe she chuckles as form of nervousness, further making a statement "I may have killed him"in which she still complies with the rules; cranking the voltage to a whooping 250vlt. Stanley Milgram was traumatized, he said " if normal people inflict torture on others, we  convince ourselves that violence is justified.

       In conclusion chapter 4 further analyzes Power (the ability to bring about an intended outcome even when opposed by others. (It is fair to say that was also the case in the Milgram experiment.)
We understand that power has many tactics that are implemented within societies on various levels.  I myself have to use power tactics with my kids, When they do good they are rewarded(power) when they do not following the norms I reienforce with punishment. (Power).
Power is used in so many different forms on all levels, Micro, meso and macro level. Here are some power tactics to influence others in everyday situations.  Page 116.


Table 5.1 (Power Tactics) 
Appeal
Bully
Collaborate
Complain
Criticize
Demand
DIscuss
Disengage
Evade
Inform
Ingratiate
Inspire
Join forces
Joke
Manipulate
Negotiate
Persist
Persuade
Promise
Punish
Put down
Request
Reward
Socialize
Threaten

                                                                                            Merida Angelina~