Defining propaganda
A psychoanalytic perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7500780 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alexander V Laskin (0000-0003-2967-1468, Quinnipiac University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 305-314 |
| Publication date | 2019-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Communication and the Public (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2057-0473 • E-ISSN: 2057-0481 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/2057047319896488 |
| OpenAlex | W2999024799 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 10 |
Propaganda is a centuries-old term, and yet scholars and practitioners are still having a hard time defining it and pinpointing what makes propaganda unique. Many existing definitions fail to distinguish between propaganda and marketing, public relations, advertising, or even mass communications, in general. This essay proposes to define propaganda through psychoanalytical research pioneered by Erich Fromm on symbiotic relations. Symbiotic relations, when transferred from biology to psychology and sociology, describe a process of allowing a person to merge with something big and important, therefore creating meaning beyond an individual’s life. As a result, following its religious roots, propaganda acts similar to religion—asking for a sacrifice of individualism in the name of something bigger—god, country, society, or political party. In the end, people willingly engage in propaganda because, although sacrificing something, they receive unity with the bigger powers of other people, organizations, political parties, countries, and so on. As a result, such persons are not alone against the world; they are now a part of a bigger and stronger union
Individualism · Media studies · Merge (version control · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Politics · Psychoanalysis · Psychoanalytic theory · Sociology · Media Studies and Communication · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Psychology · Law
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,6 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2025 (5) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |