Challenging Conspiracy Theories Teaching Aid 4 1. Increasing Knowledge about Jews and Judaism 2. Overcoming Unconscious Biases 3. Addressing Anti-Semitic Stereotypes and Prejudice 4. Challenging Conspiracy Theories 5. Teaching about Anti-Semitism through Holocaust Education 6. Addressing Holocaust Denial, Distortion and Trivialization 7. Anti-Semitism and National Memory Discourse 8. Dealing with Anti-Semitic Incidents 9. Dealing with Online Anti-Semitism 10. Anti-Semitism and the Situation in the Middle East What is a conspiracy Challenging theory? “A belief that some covert but Conspiracy influential organization is re- sponsible for an unexplained Theories event.” SOURCE: Concise Oxford Eng- lish Dictionary, ninth edition The world is full of challenging Such explanatory models reject of conspiracy theories presents complexities, one of which is accepted narratives, and official teachers with a challenge: to being able to identify fact from explanations are sometimes guide students to identify, con- fiction. People are inundated regarded as further evidence of front and refute such theories. with information from family, the conspiracy. Conspiracy the- friends, community and online ories build on distrust of estab- This teaching aid will look at sources. Political, economic, cul- lished institutions and process- how conspiracy theories func- tural and other forces shape the es, and often implicate groups tion, how they may relate to narratives we are exposed to that are associated with nega- anti-Semitism, and outline daily, and hidden relationships tive stereotypes, including Jews, strategies to overcome them in between these forces add to the particularly during times of the classroom. It provides ped- complexity. Because of the psy- social unrest.1 agogical techniques to enable chological and emotional need students to build their critical to make sense of information The Internet has given conspir- thinking skills as they inves- and to understand why some- acy theories, including anti-Se- tigate conspiracy theories and thing has happened, some peo- mitic conspiracy theories, debunk them. One outcome of ple may fall prey to conspiracy increased reach and a veneer the technique is that students go theories. of legitimacy. This includes through a tangible and experi- a plethora of websites and social ential process that leads them Conspiracy theories attempt to media accounts providing plat- organically to the realization explain distressing events as the forms for the proliferation of that not all theories they read result of the actions of a small, false ideas, such as Holocaust or hear are based on facts. powerful group collaborating denial. This fertile environ- to promote a sinister agenda. ment for the growth and spread 1 M. Abalakina-Paap, W. S. Stephan, T. Craig and W. L. Gregory, “Beliefs in conspiracies”, Political Psychology, Vol. 20, No. 3, 1999, pp. 637-647. 1 A conspiracy theory is Background defined by four charac- teristics: “(1) a group (2) acting in secret (3) to alter institutions, usurp power, hide truth, or gain util- ity (4) at the expense of the common good.” There are many different rea- network; the need for power sons why people may be attract- and control; and a sense of loy- SOURCE: Joseph E. Uscinski ed to conspiracy theories. Dis- alty and commitment.2 and Joseph M. Parent, Amer- asters or crises that directly ican Conspiracy Theories (Ox- impact people’s lives (such as A recent study demonstrated ford University Press) 2014 a car accident, terminal illness that conspiracy theories can or terrorist attack) can lead be comforting for those who them to search for reasons or are afraid to change the status someone to blame. An attempt quo. “By blaming tragedies, dis- to understand “why” an inci- asters, and social problems on – having inconsistent thoughts, dent has occurred can relieve the actions of a malign few,” the beliefs or attitudes, especially some of the pain and confusion. researchers conclude, “conspir- as relating to behavioural deci- When people face complex situ- acy theories can divert attention sions and attitude change.4 ations, conspiracy theories can from the inherent limitations of offer simple answers. social systems.”3 Conspiracy theories allow people to relinquish person- Disseminators of online extrem- For example, there are those al responsibility in the face of ist narratives use “push” fac- who call global warming a hoax complex situations in which tors to draw in young people or scam propagated by the sci- anyone would feel powerless. who feel socially excluded and entific establishment. Accepting Research has shown that it is “pull” factors to lure them into the reality of climate change as possible to increase someone’s feeling a sense of belonging. a result of human activity would tendency towards conspirato- Push factors can include social, logically demand that we make rial thinking by removing the political and economic griev- changes to reduce or reverse sense of personal control they ances; a sense of injustice and this trend. These changes may have over their life. The oppo- discrimination; personal cri- have negative financial or oth- site is also true: someone who sis and tragedies; frustration; er impacts on certain groups or feels a sense of personal power and alienation. Pull factors individuals. In such cases, con- in their life will be more resil- can include a sense of belong- spiracy theories can help people ient to conspiracy theories.5 ing to a cause, ideology or social deal with cognitive dissonance 2 Steven Lenos and Jordy Krasenberg, “Dealing with fake news, conspiracy theories, and propaganda in the classroom,” Ran Centre of Excellence, 29-30 November 2017, Budapest, <https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-do/networks/ radicalisation_awareness_network/about-ran/ran-edu/docs/ran_edu_dealing_fake_news_conspiracy_theories_propaganda_ classroom_29-30_11_2017_.pdf>. 3 Daniel Jolley, Karen Douglas and Robbie M. Sutton, “Blaming a Few Bad Apples to Save a Threatened Barrel: The System-Justifying Function of Conspiracy Theories,” in Political Psychology, Vol. 39, Issue 2 (April 2018), pp. 465-478. 4 See, for example: “Cognitive Dissonance”, Psychology Today, <https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/cognitive-dissonance>. 5 Kim Whitson et al., “Regulatory Focus and Conspiratorial Perceptions: The Importance of Personal Control”, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1 June 2018. 2 A conspiracy theory is Conspiracy rhetoric can feature all, or a combina- defined by four charac- tion of, the following points: teristics: • No event is random; “(1) a group (2) acting in secret • Everything that happens is the result of hidden intentions; (3) to alter institutions, usurp • Nothing is as it seems; power, hide truth, or gain util- • Everything is secretly connected; ity (4) at the expense of the • Although all facts must be carefully scrutinized through common good.” criticism, facts that do not fit the thesis are ignored or denied. Conspiracy theories that target SOURCE: Joseph E. Uscinski specific groups, such as Jews, can SOURCE: Pierre-André Taguieff, Court traité de complotologie, Mille and Joseph M. Parent, Amer- be rooted in and propagate an et une nuits, 2013 ican Conspiracy Theories (Ox- “us against them” mentality. The ford University Press) 2014 creators of the conspiracy theo- ry view themselves as the norm, and their theory has placed the target population in a separate in part on a conspiratorial idea group that they view as “the oth- of Jewish power. For a timeline on the Proto- er”. In many cases, the conspir- cols of the Elders of Zion, acy theory attributes responsi- Jews have historically been made see the United States Holo- bility for a certain occurrence a target of conspiracy theories, caust Memorial Museum: or a sequence of occurrences to going back to the medieval idea www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/ the group they have designated of “blood libel”. In many formu- article.php?ModuleId=100 as the “other”, which is looked lations, the “Jews” or “Zionists” 07244. upon as the enemy. This is one are claimed to form a powerful, way in which conspiracy theo- global cabal that manipulates ries are put forward for mali- governments, media, banks, cious political reasons – to offer the entertainment industry and For an update on currently the public a scapegoat. other institutions for malevolent circulating conspiracy the- purposes. ories, see the Conspiracy One of the best examples of an Watch website (in French): anti-Semitic conspiracy theory Anti-Semitic defamation fre- www.conspiracywatch.info. that still has widespread impact quently manifests itself through in the world today began with a conspiratorial worldview. For the 1903 publication of the Pro- example, on both the political left tocols of the Elders of Zion in a and right, there are people who found in references to “Roth- Russian newspaper.6 It is one of falsely claim that Jews planned schild money”, or the identifica- the most widely distributed for- the terrorist attacks in the Unit- tion of a Jewish conspiracy with geries in history, purporting to ed States on 11 September 2001. international banking and crim- record a Jewish plan for world Today, claims of Jewish control inality. Recently, new conspiracy domination. The Nazi genocide of and fascination with finances, theories have emerged that false- of Jews in Europe during World or depictions of Jews as wealthy, ly allege Jewish involvement in War II was also carried out based powerful, and