Am J Psychiatry 1979; 136:1438-1443
Copyright © 1979 by American Psychiatric Association
Intolerance and extremism in a correctional institution: a perceived ethnic relations approach
NI Dishotsky and A Pfefferbaum
The authors used an ecological approach to analyze the interaction of
ethnicity, environment, personality, and ideology that led to racial
intolerance, ethnic strife, and the existence of a self-styled neo-Nazi
group in a correctional institution for youthful offenders. Staff members
completed a questionnaire on which they rated the behavior of each of 320
inmates toward his own and other ethnic groups. The inmate's membership, if
any, in a "power" subgroup was also noted. Results indicated a correlation
between antagonistic patterns of ethnic relations and receptivity to racial
propaganda and ideology. Further research focusing on the perceived ethnic
relations climate is necessary to determine whether the patterns found in
this institution are typical and to ascertain explanations for this
correlation.
