Obedience Training

[Stoic_Dreamer]

So as I've stated before I'm starting my psychology practicum soon but I'm taking a Social Psychology course first to defer my student loans and also avoid entering into the practicum totally emotionally raw from therapy.  I haven't slept in four days and I'm currently trying to write a response to a group discussion.  I'm really trying not to be a complete dick in my response but I'm finding it difficult to write/not to be.  The class was surprisingly receptive to my last post on the origins (nature/nurture) of aggression and the statistics concerning child abuse. 

 

However, with this discussion the arrogance and collusion with evil that often appears to be omnipresent in the psychology community is really wearing on me.  I know quite a bit of it is sleep deprivation but also many are leaping to defend blind obedience to authority, familial and political, in response posts.  Although I am well aware that rebellious souls are few and far between within the field of psychology, I still get frustrated encountering all of this nonsense.  What does everyone else think?  Any suggestions on how to proceed while avoiding heavy sarcasm and aggressive language, particularly when answering questions 1 and 3?   Am I just stressed or do you find it difficult to not want to respond in a condescending or angry manner too?

 

Original Post:

Discussion Question: Obedience

 

In our culture it is fairly normal to see a parent socialize their children to obey authority figures without question. We teach them that because they are a child if they question the authority figures in their life that they are being disrespectful and often punish them for this kind of questioning.

 

Now consider the outcome of Milgram's research into obedience in which many participants followed the request of a perceived authority figure and administering shocks up to 450 volts to a person who simply got the answers wrong. Read the following article by Thomas Blass about Milgram and his research:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200203/the-man-who-shocked-the-world

 

Additionally read the article at http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=1297922 about the prank call at McDonalds that lead to the false imprisonment and sexual assault of a young employee all because the assistant manager blindly followed the instructions of a man on the phone.

 

1. Discuss, in general, why children are socialized to obey authority figures.

 

2. Does the way we socialize our children set them on a possible path toward this kind of obedience?

 

 

3. What benefits come from our children blindly following the authority figures in their life?

 

4. What negative consequences can come from this kind of socialization?

 

 

5. Is there a better option in the way we socialize our children? If so, what would be a better strategy?

 

6. Should this strategy change as the child ages? If so, how would it be different for older children versus younger children?