Learning Update 6

In class today I enjoyed our discussion on the "self" versus the "other." Throughout the course we have seen many examples of how this distinction has added fuel to the fire for witch and werewolf hunts, religious cults, and just mass hysteria. Having someone or something that becomes a common enemy for a group (the other) results in a much more passionate "self." Not only does it allow for the "self" to examine and reaffirm their own believes but it also isolates the "other", turning them into a villain in the story of the "self." I was relating the themes of this conversation back to my pop culture presentation on "Die Welle" because as the group received more and more backlash from girls like Karo, it provided them with a common mission when they were trying to getting rid of her flyers and unite against her in solidarity. 

Another example (which I will be diving deeper into after fall break) is the Waco siege. From what I understand about it so far, the U.S. government was the "other" to the members of the Branch Davidians based off of what their leader had told them. After the fallout of what happened in Waco, the distrust of the government spilled into other extreme religious groups, turning the government into the "other." A well-known example of how extreme the distrust became was when the deadliest domestic terrorist attack happened in OKC, citing what happened at Waco as his primary motivator.  Despite being from Tulsa, not even I had connected that this was the motivation behind what happened the day of the bombing (our school field trip to the bombing museum was cancelled due to storms). Ultimately, I am intrigued by this concept of "self vs other" and am excited to explore it more in my presentation next week.