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A scapegoat refers to a person, an institution, or a group of people who become the target of anger, prejudice, resentment, oppression, etc. because of a belief that he/she/they/it is/are responsible for one’s problems, failures, immoral behavior, and so on—even though the belief is completely baseless, that is, not supported by facts.
A scapegoat refers to a person, an institution, or a group of people who become the target of anger, prejudice, resentment, oppression, etc. because of a belief that he/she/they/it is/are responsible for one’s problems, failures, immoral behavior, and so on—even though the belief is completely baseless, that is, not supported by facts.
Scapegoating, that is falsely blaming others who are not responsible for the difficulties one is experiencing appears to be a common human attribute. Scapegoating takes two primary forms: interpersonal and institutional. At the interpersonal level, an individual may scapegoat any number of people; ranging from co-workers to employers; from parents to siblings; from classmates to teachers; and so on.
Scapegoating, that is falsely blaming others who are not responsible for the difficulties one is experiencing appears to be a common human attribute. Scapegoating takes two primary forms: interpersonal and institutional. At the interpersonal level, an individual may scapegoat any number of people; ranging from co-workers to employers; from parents to siblings; from classmates to teachers; and so on.
At the institutional level, political scapegoating appears to be the dominant form, constituting a favorite political strategy of demagogues—who, obviously, thrive on bullying the powerless—in their effort to whip up political support. At this level, when a group of people are scapegoated, a potent reinforcement for this strategy will usually be found in the deployment of malignant stereotypes of this group (who more often than not tend to be weak in terms of political and/or economic power, relative to those targeting them). Not surprisingly, ideologies of oppression (ethnicism, racism, sexism, classism, etc.) rely heavily on the strategy of scapegoating.
At the institutional level, political scapegoating appears to be the dominant form, constituting a favorite political strategy of demagogues—who, obviously, thrive on bullying the powerless—in their effort to whip up political support. At this level, when a group of people are scapegoated, a potent reinforcement for this strategy will usually be found in the deployment of malignant stereotypes of this group (who more often than not tend to be weak in terms of political and/or economic power, relative to those targeting them). Not surprisingly, ideologies of oppression (ethnicism, racism, sexism, classism, etc.) rely heavily on the strategy of scapegoating.
Historically, to take the example of the United States, groups who have been scapegoats at one time or another (and some continue to be scapegoated today) include: Native Americans, African Americans, the poor in general, immigrants in general, Asian Americans in general, Muslim Americans; Irish Americans, Italian Americans, women in general, Eastern Europeans in general, Jewish Americans, Roman Catholics, the Spanish, Latinos in general, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, Haitians, and so on, and so on.
Historically, to take the example of the United States, groups who have been scapegoats at one time or another (and some continue to be scapegoated today) include: Native Americans, African Americans, the poor in general, immigrants in general, Asian Americans in general, Muslim Americans; Irish Americans, Italian Americans, women in general, Eastern Europeans in general, Jewish Americans, Roman Catholics, the Spanish, Latinos in general, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, Haitians, and so on, and so on.
Of course, it goes without saying that as a form of political bullying that relies on such related devices as stereotyping, othering, and conspiracy theories, scapegoating does not get to the heart of the very real problems that may be at issue facing the masses. The tragedy, therefore, is that the need for scapegoats is unending as the ruling classes go on merrily with their projects of oppression (via racism, ethnicism, classism, sexism, etc.) as a means primarily of the economic exploitation of the masses.
Of course, it goes without saying that as a form of political bullying that relies on such related devices as stereotyping, othering, and conspiracy theories, scapegoating does not get to the heart of the very real problems that may be at issue facing the masses. The tragedy, therefore, is that the need for scapegoats is unending as the ruling classes go on merrily with their projects of oppression (via racism, ethnicism, classism, sexism, etc.) as a means primarily of the economic exploitation of the masses.
Incidentally, the ancient Greeks ritually practiced scapegoating by blaming some calamity and the like on a powerless person or outcast (a pharmakós) and most unfairly and tragically driving the person out of the community by force. However, the term as we know it today comes from the Pentateuch (the Hebrew Bible), specifically, the third book known as the Book of Leviticus where the directive is for an actual goat to be sent into the desert, symbolically carrying with it the sins of the community (the Israelites). Here is the relevant passage:
Incidentally, the ancient Greeks ritually practiced scapegoating by blaming some calamity and the like on a powerless person or outcast (a pharmakós) and most unfairly and tragically driving the person out of the community by force. However, the term as we know it today comes from the Pentateuch (the Hebrew Bible), specifically, the third book known as the Book of Leviticus where the directive is for an actual goat to be sent into the desert, symbolically carrying with it the sins of the community (the Israelites). Here is the relevant passage:
16:7 Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
16:8 He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat.
16:9 Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering.
16:10 But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.
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