Description
Book SynopsisFrom the Spanish Inquisition to Nazi Germany to the United States today, ordinary people have often chosen to turn in their neighbors to the authorities. In
Judge Thy Neighbor, Patrick Bergemann provides a theoretical framework for understanding the motives for denunciations in terms of institutional structures and incentives.
Trade ReviewOverall,
Judge Thy Neighbor is full of rich details and thoughtful observations on a phenomenon that sociologists pay little attention to, despite the prevalence of denunciation in the past and present. * American Journal of Sociology *
An important illustration of how much we can learn from combining middle-range theory and comparisons within well contextualized historical case studies. Bergemann skillfully moves beyond the work of historians by forging theoretical connections between denunciation and different forms of social control across space and time. * Social Forces *
A terrific book. It greatly improves our understanding of repressive structures and social conflict. It is also an excellent example of comparative thinking, with some very good data, providing fresh insight to historical cases on which a lot of ink has been spilled. * Contemporary Sociology *
Social scientists neglect negative interpersonal ties. While lab experiments on the willing assumption of malevolent authority open a window on this topic, Bergemann is the first to examine betrayal and denunciation to the authorities in natural settings, and to theorize the common causes and patterns over the centuries. A fascinating opening into a dark side of human behavior. -- Mark Granovetter, Joan Butler Ford Professor, Stanford University
The nastiest feature of living in oppressive regimes is the pressure to denounce other people. But Bergemann shows some surprising patterns. Regimes can be inundated with unreliable information and petty grievances, and some incentives have more costs than others. This history is highly relevant in today’s era of whistleblowers, snitching, and online accusations. -- Randall Collins, author of
Interaction Ritual ChainsDenunciation is more pervasive than we think, yet remains poorly studied and understood. Using three case studies, Bergemann advances new hypotheses and helps shed light on this intriguing social phenomenon. -- Stathis N. Kalyvas, author of
The Logic of Violence in Civil WarResearch on deviance typically focuses on those who violate prevailing norms. Bergemann turns the camera around: What if the real deviants are the accusers, not the accused? By applying alternative theoretical models to three historical cases, Bergemann identifies the viral strains in epidemics of denunciation, with stunning new insights. This exquisitely crafted study is a must-read not only for students of social control but for anyone who wonders if law enforcement should be crowdsourced. -- Michael Macy, Goldwin Smith Professor of Arts and Sciences, Cornell University
There have been case studies of the Inquisition and lots of work on the Gestapo, but the explanations in all of those are ad hoc and make no effort to generalize beyond their single cases.
Judge Thy Neighbor offers a theory that I expect will both transform future work on these and other cases of denunciations and influence broader social-science analyses of group dynamics, social movements, and microsocial relations. -- Richard Lachmann, State University of New York at Albany
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
1. A Theory of Denunciation
2. The Spanish Inquisition
3. Romanov Russia
4. Nazi Germany
5. Denunciations: Present and Future
Notes
References
Index
