Looking for Superman in Dangerous Worlds: Descriptive Psychology Explains Conspiracy Communities

Kantor, C. / Published 2021 / Presentation

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Presenter Charles Kantor, Ph.D.
Date October 23, 2011
Abstract: On January 6th, 2021, several hundred American citizens stormed the US Capitol. Provoked by recent conspiracy thinking that the election would be rigged or stolen by Democrats and years of beliefs that tyrannical forces
controlled the US government, these citizens violently overwhelmed Capitol police and searched for politicians to “try” for treason. Conspiracy theories are not only associated with particular world views, but also with statuses, social practices, locutions and choice principles. In short, many persons who believe a particular conspiracy world view can be described as a member of a
conspiracy community. I will examine the impact of conspiracy theories by using the formal parameters of the Community concept developed by Anthony Putman and by focusing on paradigmatic conspiracy communities associated with the Capitol violence.
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