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This book unpacks the reasons why ordinary citizens often and willingly support war in the West and elsewhere. It explores topics such as the personal appeal of war and wartime, the role of nationalism and other values in defense of which wars are fought, war as a male enterprise, images of the enemy, militarism and society, the role of propaganda, and the moral dilemma posed by war.
List of contents
- Introduction: Posing the Question, Why is War Supported?
- Chapter 1 Wars, Old and New, Costs and Controversies
- Chapter 2 The Personal Attraction of War
- Chapter 3 War in Defense of National and Other Identities and Values
- Chapter 4 Thinking of Us and Them, Enemies and Heroes
- Chapter 5 Embedded Militarism and Readiness for War
- Chapter 6 Engineering Consent: Propaganda and Persuasion
- Chapter 7 Just War? War as a Moral Dilemma
- Chapter 8 An Answer: Toward a Unified Understanding of War Support
- Bibliography
About the author
Jim Orford is Emeritus Professor of Clinical and Community Psychology at The University of Birmingham. He is a longstanding, internationally recognized researcher and writer in community psychology and addiction. He edited the Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology for 10 years and was a founding member of the European Community Psychology Association and the Community Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society. He has been a leading campaigner for gambling reform in Britain and for recognition of the family effects of addiction internationally. His work has been published in over 50 different peer-reviewed journals, and he has written or edited over 11 books, including the ground-breaking Excessive Appetites: A Psychological View of Addictions.
Summary
This book unpacks the reasons why ordinary citizens often and willingly support war in the West and elsewhere. It explores topics such as the personal appeal of war and wartime, the role of nationalism and other values in defense of which wars are fought, war as a male enterprise, images of the enemy, militarism and society, the role of propaganda, and the moral dilemma posed by war.
Additional text
Professor Orford's work provides thoughtful, well-documented, comprehensive, and actionable explanations to why we continue to choose to wage war. The information in this book is very consequential: whether we choose or reject war may determine the fate of humanity.
