Dehumanization and irregular warfare

In the current global environment the practice of dehumanizationthe stripping away of common attributes among people that call for respect and constrain violenceand the misperception it creates have resulted in misguided attempts by militaries to influence the center of gravity in irregular warfare, the civilian population. Traditional thought in this matter implies that cultural training is the most important factor in creating more effective influence when dealing in irregular warfare scenarios. By examining dehumanization and the factors that cause it in irregular warfare environments, this thesis will provide a framework for how dehumanization impacts influence operations. My analysis seeks to explain how dehumanization occurs and how it can be prevented, thereby setting necessary conditions for effective population influence.

Department dc:contributor.department

Defense Analysis (DA)

Grantor dc:publisher

Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Ford, Alexander S.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Simons, Anna

Statement dc:rights

• This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10945/34664

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:calhoun.nps.edu:10945/34664