States of denial. . - books - book review

New Internationalist, Dec, 2001 by Kiran Nihalani

by Stanley Cohen (Polity ISBN 0745623921)

How do we deal with the unthinkable? How do the perpetrators of horrors justify their actions to themselves and to society? And to what extent is a bystander a perpetrator?

These are basic, painful questions that need to be confronted directly - which is what Stanley Cohen resolutely does in this book. His answers involve psychological and sociological theories which he leads us through with calm expertise. As a child in South Africa, Cohen questioned apartheid, wondering why 'our family had been allocated black men and women as domestic servants'. Moreover, he wondered why everyone else wasn't wondering this as well. A continuing interest in the mental processes which allow people to commit, observe and indeed endure cruelty eventually resulted in a comprehensive, passionate, witty, engaging and disturbing investigation into the different forms of denial.

Cohen draws his examples from apartheid-era South Africa, Israel (where he spent 18 years), the Holocaust and Bosnia. He explores the connection between denial of political atrocities and reaction to personal tragedies such as illness, alcoholism and incest.

But Cohen's aim is not simply to help people understand themselves and their reactions. It is to encourage political action. He investigates the role of the media, and organizations like Oxfam and Amnesty and explodes myths like 'compassion fatigue'. We need exposure to the horrors of wars, famines and brutal dictatorships, Cohen insists, in order for denial to be overcome and political action to be taken.

RATING ****

STAR RATING

EXCELLENT *****

VERY GOOD ****

GOOD ***

FAIR **

POOR *