The role of otherness, stereotyping and dehumanizing processes in realization of collective crimes
Uloga alteriteta, stereotipiranja i dehumanizacijskih procesa u realizaciji kolektivnih zločina

Summary/Abstract: The author discusses how social groups are being constituted, not by developing a positive, inner, self image, but through marking a key difference that distinguishes one group from the other and thereby defi nes each of them as separate and unique. However, this process, regardless of how naive it may sound, more often then not uses this “otherness” in order to establish one group’s identity as positive, active and affi rmative, solely through defi ning the other (subordinate) as the binary opposite: negative, passive and primitive. The stereotyping of the other, based primarily on the fear of the imaginary threat the other represents, can evolve with the proper use of popaganda and focused media attention into serious dehumanizing strategies which may lead to aggression, brutality and collective crimes. The author analyses these mechanisms, defi nes their role in the creation of eugenic society orders and illustrates dehumanizing processes by giving examples of strategic violence throughout the world. The author considers political propaganda and manipulation of power the key ingredient in all types of strategic violence cases.

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