>Marvin, thank you for bringing to our attention that scapegoating is a
>defence mechanism. I agree with you that it is a natural mechanism, a
>sort of camouflaging.
I see scapegoating operating more like respiration than camoflage in that
it is a functional prerequisite behavior for all groups engaged in a task
that involves cooperation and communication among the members to produce a
result. The point where scapegoating becomes dysfunctional is when it
becomes institutionalized as a behavioral norm, e.g., 'all white people
are..." "women just can't be expected to...", "these people just don't
want to work!" In this regard the naming of the thread as a dynamic is
apt in that, this is a necessary behavior in a process of development for
all human groups. Understanding this dynamic as it operates in work
groups I've consulted to has gone a long way in helping to move the group
to a more mature level of functioning.
Marvin H. Berman, Ph.D.
Organizational Systems Consulting
100 West Evergreen Ave.
Chestnut Hill, PA 19118
215-242-9002 voice
215-248-0617 fax
mhberman@aol.com
--MHBerman <MHBerman@aol.com>
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