Conspiracy Theories [electronic resource] : A Critical Introduction /
Byford, J.author.
Through a series of specific questions that cut to the core of conspiracism as a global social and cultural phenomenon this book deconstructs the logic and rhetoric of conspiracy theories and analyses the broader social and psychological factors that contribute to their persistence in modern society.
Description based upon print version of record.
Cover; Halftitle; Title; Copyright; Content; List of Figures; Acknowledgements; 1 Introduction; Mapping contemporary conspiracy culture; Chapter outline; 2 Towards a Definition of Conspiracy Theories; Negotiating the boundaries of the term 'conspiracy theory'; Setting the epistemic threshold between real and bogus conspiracies; The explanatory logic of the conspiracy theory; 3 Conspiracy Theories and Their Vicissitudes; The origins of a tradition of explanation; The myth of the Jewish conspiracy; Protocols of the Elders of Zion; Conspiracy at the heart of the US government
Senator McCarthy vs the communist conspiracyThe new mythology of secret societies; Old wine in a new bottle; The Kennedy assassination and its aftermath; Conclusion; 4 The Anatomy of the Conspiracy Theory; The conspiratorial group; The character of the conspirator; The conspiratorial plan; Manipulation of many by the few; The Manichaean view of politics; Naïve optimism of the conspiracy theory; The importance of foreknowledge; The rhetoric of scientific inquiry; The rhetoric of just asking questions; Conclusion; 5 Conspiracy Theory and Antisemitism
Conspiracism as a dynamic and evolving cultureContinuities within the conspiracy tradition; The New World Order and the causes of the Bolshevik Revolution; Conspiracy tradition and the alternative interpretations of 9/11; Israel, the Left and 'new antisemitism'; Conclusion; 6 Psychology and Conspiracy Theory; Conspiracy theories and paranoia; Paranoia as a collective phenomenon; Psychological 'profiling' of conspiracy theorists; Conspiracy theories: individual beliefs or social phenomena?; Conspiracy theory and the value of being 'in the know'; Conclusion; 7 Conclusion
From the Protocols to the X-FilesCombating conspiracy theories; References; Index
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Through a series of specific questions that cut to the core of conspiracism as a global social and cultural phenomenon this book deconstructs the logic and rhetoric of conspiracy theories and analyses the broader social and psychological factors that contribute to their persistence in modern society.
Personality.
Social psychology.
Political science.
Sociology.
Public administration.
Political communication.
Community psychology.
Environmental psychology.
Personality and Social Psychology.
Political Science.
Sociology, general.
Public Administration.
Political Communication.
Community and Environmental Psychology.