Author: Jeffrey S. Victor
Jeffrey Victor is a sociologist retired from SUNY College at Jamestown. He has published books and articles about collective behavior, such as satanic cult rumors and mass hysteria. He is a frequent contributor to SI and other critical thinking magazines.
The Social Dynamics of Conspiracy Rumors: From Satanic Panic to QAnon
Almost all past interpretations of conspiracy stories focus on the psychology of personality, emphasizing personal beliefs, motives, and preconceptions while ignoring their social constructions in groups. This article instead takes an alternative sociological approach, one that focuses on the influences of history, culture, and political organization. The difference between focusing on a conspiracy “theory” and …
This article is available for free to all.