The Sociology of Conspiracy

By Karen Sternheimer

For the past six years, the anniversary of the September 11^th attacks has brought introspection and examination into what happened on that terrible day.  

A recent story in the Los Angeles Times charged that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) did not have an adequate plan to deal with the threat of terrorism before the 2001 events. For those who read the 9-11 Commission Report, published in 2004, this new information should not be a big surprise. In all this, what remains hard to understand is how a band of thugs could penetrate the security of the world’s sole superpower.

Some people have such a hard time accepting this idea that they reject the notion that a terrorist cell was behind the attacks. Instead, they believe that both the devastation of that day and the explanation that followed was part of a grand conspiracy-- an American conspiracy.

The History Channel recently devoted two hours of programming to examine some of the claims of conspiracy buffs, many of whom passionately believe that the government was complicit in both the attacks and in a cover-up afterwards. Rather than discussing such claims (which have gotten more than enough attention on the Internet already), I find it more interesting to consider how common conspiracy theories are in popular culture. Why is this so?

Sociologists refer to conspiracy theories as a form of collective behavior, something that we engage in together that gains traction as it appeals to many people. Similar to urban legends, rumors, and panics, sociologists seek to understand how and why groups create meaning through claiming that conspiracies have taken place. 

The creation of the Internet has definitely helped grease the wheels of collective behavior. One of the most fascinating things about collective behavior is that it often starts from the grassroots level, from everyday people rather from those in positions of power. In fact, the very distance from the centers of power fuels conspiracy theories.

Let’s think about some other conspiracy theories: some people claim that the  Holocaust never happened; perhaps the most famous conspiracy theory is based on the premise that President John F. Kennedy’s assassination was the work of insiders.

The public’s willingness to entertain such theories differs tremendously. For most people, even questioning the reality that millions of civilians were murdered during World War II is incredibly offensive. But there’s something about Kennedy’s assassination that makes millions question the findings of the Warren Commission Report. Why does one conspiracy theory seem outlandish while another one seems plausible?

The imbalance of power is a key ingredient. It is not hard to believe that a powerful regime or dictator could slaughter a group of people with little or no social power, as sadly has happened over and over again in human history. 

But the opposite is much harder to believe: an individual or group with little power harming someone with significantly more power and status doesn’t make sense. It challenges what we think we know about the social order.

So the Kennedy assassination--apparently the work of a lone gunman who by all reports was, to put it kindly, unsuccessful in his other ventures--seems hard to believe. That a charismatic, larger-than-life leader of the free world could be brought down by a “nobody” has fueled conspiracy theorists for over forty years. Although solid evidence refutes the idea of a conspiracy, I admit to entertaining this notion myself. I now see that I fell into the power imbalance trap too.

In my defense, I also grew up during the 1970s, when network television routinely featured programs about the Bermuda Triangle, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster, and other supernatural “secrets”. The Kennedy assassination was also a big topic during the decade that featured the Watergate cover-up and made many Americans question how much the government could be trusted. In the early 1970s, Skylab, a precursor to today’s international space station, actually fell to earth (which is terrifying if you’re a kid!) and faith in the government fell as well. 

Flash forward more than 25 years, and you can see why people still might have trouble believing the government. The president's approval ratings have declined in recent years as the war in Iraq has become increasingly unpopular. Conspiracy claims make sense during a time when mistrust and anger toward the government run high.

And most of all, it is hard to accept that our powerful military could not protect us that September day. For some, it is easier to believe that our government is all-powerful (even if that power is abused) than it is to believe that the government is flawed. Our Cold War military build-up made us feel almost invincible, and September 11^th challenged that assumption. In a strange way, conspiracy theories help prop up the belief in an all-powerful America. Perhaps clinging to this idea is less upsetting than facing what transpired that day.

Comments

[Zack Whaley]

Mrs. Sternheimer,
I am a senior at Perry High School in Perry, Michigan. On the off chance that you read these posts on a regular basis, I would appriciate it immensely if you could contact me to discuss the findings in this article. I'm currently composing a thesis on this very topic, and it seems you share my feelings concerning conspiracy theory. I would like to prove your exact point about collective behavior in my thesis, but original research (or resaerch at all for that matter), is very hard to find on this specific of a subject. Citing you as a source would undoubtedly provide an enoumous amount of support for my topic. Please contact me through my email address: zack@whaleys.net, any information you could provide would be exceedingly helpful.

Thank you,
Zack Whaley

[EU member]

Everything seems reasonable but tell me - how can socilogists investigate conspiracies. It is obvious that people plan these from time to time. Your text seem to say that there are no conspiracies at all. Isn't it a part of social life - let me see - from the killing of Gaius Julius Caesar in 44 BC?? Do we (as a sociologists) have to close our eyes on important dimention of soc. life? If not what are your view on reaserching it?

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[looperC]

i just wrote down the same thing in my last hour class and just wanted to see if anyone thought of the samething as i did. Yah i think it has to do with securety of the people and how they dont like it violated, but i just dont feel one hundo % sure about it like it just doesnt feel like people would act that way, but it kind of makes sence. I said the same thing as you. I would like to track down and talk to who ever started the sites and see if they match any chercteristics like Live in a big city, See the goverment alot, they see the power they have, probably have been arrested or some other violation before, dont like the gov., idk just something i came up with last hour. I really wanna do some actual reserch on some of my ideas but just like that other chick im just in high school, i will be attending UWM in the fall and i will be learned in the way of a sociologist there so give me feed back if i can help on any thing or if you wanna hear some ideas. yah

[looperC]

oh sorry for calling you a chick zach i thought for some reason you were a girl, umm yah i REALLY WANNA DO SOMETHING reaserch like, i love sociology im gonna make it my life so contact me on my e-mail vrcody@hotmail.com PLEASE!!!!

[looperC]

What the hell this was 2 years ago

[jane]

I would really like to know how you can prove a conspiracy theroy. It seems that they are worse than urban legends. I think that people feel the need to explain an event when the real reason they are given doesn't seem possible thus conspiracies.

[Chris]

I would also like to know if age has a factor into this. I see alot of younger people falling into theses stories. Their imagination is going wild. As for things like the economy, I remember the last two "small" recessions and how the conspiracies seem to increase during those times. It seems more relevent that if you have never lived though one, then you are more likely to believe these stories as a younger person.

[J.Gibbs]

To: Sternheimer
From: Gibbs

I am a senior at Aberdeen University, I'm currently composing a thesis on this very topic, but original research (or resaerch at all for that matter), is very hard to find on this specific of a subject. Please contact me through my email address: jaquig123@hotmail.co.uk

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[HV]

Conspiracy theories seem much less radical and kooky after explanation on sociological terms. Any experience that deviates from the norm, we try to rationalize. It was interesting to see that it applies also to collective behavior. If such an event occurs where there is also a perceived imbalance of power, it seems unnatural, and a even a group may tell a story that 'balances things out'. The best example of this is the Kennedy assassination conspiracy theory - the thought process is that "no lone citizen could have such power, it had to be someone powerful, or a group of powerful people." Kennedy's status as an idol gave him more power than most public figures, so the simplicity of his death seemed peculiar, and had to be rationalized. The theory was popular because many people agreed that he could not have died so simply.

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The 9-11 attack have allegedly believes an inside job or the CIA haven't plan for the prevention of the said terrorism. Media and Popular mechanics have rejected the idea of conspiracy theories on the 9-11 bombing. Another theories that have emerge is the growing criticism of the Iraq War and the presidency of President G. Bush.

[Mack George]

Your theory about the balance of power affecting the "believibility" of conspiracy theories is really quite interesting. It makes sense that considerably less people believe in Holocaust conspiracies (an event about a powerful leader exerting power over a weak group) then they do about the Kennedy assassination (a weak person exerts power over a powerful individual) when this theory is taken into consideration.

[Kristie]

This article really sheds some light on the different kinds of collective behaviors there are. In my sociology class, we've been learning about rumors, urban legends, fads, fashions, etcetera, and it seems that a conspiracy theory would fit into a kind of rumor or legend. Also, it ties into hysteria and panic, as there have been some instances when ideas have become so believable that people actually take action specifically because of it, like the Y2K scare.

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Hi,
Conspiracy theory as a convenient rhetorical rebuttal has been culturally constructed as quick refutation of otherwise distasteful, never mind factual ideas by the elite. All social interventions that seek structural adjustment, adjustments that have not yet been institutionalized and made „automatic‟, involve some form of conspiracy, a coor- dinated intervention for structure maintenance.

[finance homework help]

I would say that “right-wing conspiracy theories” serve as a sort of poor man’s class conflict analysis, and I would defend them as having an advantage over Marxist in that they make history the realm of human action, where individuals and groups have goals and pursue them, rather than the realm of impersonal, abstract, and deterministic historical forces.

[myblog]

Please contact me through my email address: zack@whaleys.net, any information you could provide would be exceedingly helpful.

[Aditya]

I think another reason why some conspiracies become so popular could be due to almost a mob mentality type of thing. When something as large as 9/11 or the Kennedy assassination occurs, this leaves millions of people around the country feeling hurt and angered. Without any clear person to blame for any of these events, I believe that these hurt and angered people try to turn to alternative finger pointing. Together all of these people form to create their own "mobs" trying to convince everybody they know what caused this catastrophic events. I believe that most of these people know that what they are saying may not be completely truthful, but it is the mob mentality that is taking them over and telling them otherwise.

[Chelsey Gochanour]

Comment:Other reasons that may explain conspiracies and their seemingly wide popularity in our culture could be due to almost a mob mentality or Contagion theory. When some event as 9/11, the Kennedy assassination, or the explosion of a space shuttle; it affects many people and most often leaves millions of people around the country feeling hurt, angered, and helpless. They are left to pick up the pieces and formulate their own conclusions, without any clear person to blame for any of these events. Even in situations of an accident humans need to put the blame in someone. This causes finger pointing and false interpretations of the evidence to become accepted by a large community with the same feeling. Together all of these people form to create their own "mob" trying to convince everybody they know what caused this such large scale and devastating events.

[Taylor]

The collective behavior of conspiracy theories is a very interesting topic. I think that it's so fasinating that so many people will engage in them. I know it's hard to except facts that are devastating to all, but people really need to come to reality. The world changes and people die; it's how the world continues on.

[Aaron]

It was interesting to see how the balance of power in society can affect something like the believability of a conspiracy theory. I would have never looked at it like that before.

[Noname]

There are different perspectives on things. The sociological one you portrait here is interesting.

However.

The "new world order" is unfortunately not just a worthless theory not worth looking into, far from. The more you research it the more obvious it is. It's like having had a huge elephant in your living room all your life without being able to see it.

There's a sociology of neglect, being programmed not to ask questions, a core mindset that you must believe mainstream media no matter how stupid "it is".

And yes there are thousands of engineers, architects and pilots who find the official story on how building 7 collapsed impossible. You heard me right, impossible. Are they all stupid? Don't think so, some of them are reknowned for earlier work in their fields..

People have to wake up before US is yet a police state among others.

A good start might be to understand the esoteric messages in popular culture funded by the same elite who pay off politicians, who literally own media, big corporations, the military-complex, Google etc and use them like tools to push their authoritarian agenda forward. It's all quite obvious. But then again, you could also go with the 100% naive "Oh well..they're just having fun there at Bohemian grove, Skull & Bones..". Christians presidents attending pagan/luciferian rites, even filmed (see youtube).. Don't think so.

So I encourage you to spend 2 hours learning about the culture of death established incrementally for 50 years:

http://vigilantcitizen.com/

[Amanda]

It seems crazy to me that people can think things like 9/11 and the Holocaust are completely made up. To me I feel like that is similar to believing an urban legend about an alligator living in the sewer system.