This document discusses Rene Girard's theory of the scapegoat mechanism and how it can be applied to analyzing contemporary media scandals. Girard's theory proposes that mimetic desire leads to rivalry and violence within communities. To resolve crises, communities engage in the scapegoat mechanism - unanimously directing their violence towards a surrogate victim. The document compares Girard's theory to concepts in social sciences and examines how it can provide insight into phenomena like the proliferation of political scandals, the random selection of scapegoats, and the role of new media in mob-like behavior. It raises questions about whether scandals reveal evil or perpetrate damage, and implications for human rights.

1. Girard’s
SCAPEGOAT MECHANiSM
AND MEDiA SCANDALS
@JuanCannata- 2015
HEYTHROPCOLLEGESEMINAR
UNIVERSITYOFLONDON

2. DoesGirard’s
theoryworkfor
studying
contemporary
mediascandals?@JuanCannata

3. MimeticTheory
Comparisonbetween
MimeticTheory
andSocialSciences
Possible
applications
(1)
(2)
(3)
@JuanCannata

4. THREEFIELDS
Literary studies;
Cultural Anthropology;
Biblical Studies.
[Kirwan, 2004]
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5. THREEFIELDS
Literary studies;
Cultural Anthropology;
Biblical Studies.
'revelation of the lie'
'scapegoat mechanism'
'mimetic contagion'
[Kirwan, 2004]
@JuanCannata

6. (1) Mimetic Theory

7. "Wemust understand that desire itself
is essentially mimetic, directed toward
an object desired by the model. [...] Two
desires converging on the same object
are bound to clash. Thus, mimesis
coupled with desire leads automatically
to conflict. However, humans always
seen half blind to this conjunction,
unable to perceive it as a cause of
rivalry" (Girard, 1977:146).
MIMETICDESIRE
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8. Triangular
MIMETICDESIRE
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Object
ModelSubject

9. "If acquisitive mimesis divides by
leading two or moreindividuals to
converge on one and the same object
with a view to appropriating it,
conflictual mimesis will inevitably unify
by leading two or more individuals to
converge on one and the same
adversary that all wish to strike down"
(Girard, 1987:26).
VIOLENCE
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10. "The scapegoat murder ends the crisis,
since the transference against it is
unanimous". That is the importance of
the scapegoat mechanism: "it channels
the collective violence against one
arbitrary chosen member of
community" (Girard, 2006:62).
SACRIFICE
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11. "Girard argues that ritual has primarily a
propitiatoryfunction: it renews the
therapeutic effects of the original
mobilization of surrogate victimage by
canalizing violence along sacrally
endorsed channels. Prohibition, on the
other hand, serves a predominantly
prophylacticfunction: it incarnates social
hierarchies and formsof differentiation
that prevent conflictual mimesis by
proscribing those behaviours that might
lead, or have led in the past, to social
disintegration" (Fleming, 2004:54).
INSTITUTIONS
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12. It is impossible to see the innocence of
the victim in archaic cultures, but it has
been unveiled by Judaeo-Christian
tradition. In that context, it was possible
to recognize the crime of the founding
murder of a surrogate victim and, for the
very first time in history, a cultural
tradition could begin that for the first
time defends victims against accusers
(Girard, 2012; 1987:Book II).
RELEVATION
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13. (a) ScandalProliferation
The seeking of culprits continues, but
the lynching has lost its medicinal
effect.
POST-SACRIFICIAL
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(b)Victimization
“As soon as such people view themselves
as victims the aggression against
their enemies becomes limitless"
(Palaver, 2008:3-4)

14. (2) Comparison between Mimetic
Theory and Social Sciences
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15. Mimetic crisis
Skandalon
Anthropological
1
Institutional Sociological
2
Standarized
prevention
Management
Political Scandal
Media Scandal
LEVELS OF DEALING WITH SCANDAL
3
1stwave– Necessaryforhealthydemocracy
2ndwave– Possibleintrumentalizationfor damagingothers
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16. Cromañón Tragedy in Buenos Aires – December 2004

18. 1997 2000 2004 2006 2012
1stwave 2ndwave
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19. FEATURESOF SCANDAL
(1)There must be a violation of fixed
values, norms or moral codes;
(2)the events in question must come
into public spotlight;
(3)there must be people shaken and
shocked by the 'scandalous situation';
(4)there must be players who are
willing to voice their criticism in public;
(5)and, finally, the situation must
threaten-even up to total destruction-
thereputation and political capital of
theaccused.
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24. SevenHypothesis
Allern&Pollack
@SocialSciences
@JuanCannata

25. Allern& PollackHypothesis Girard’s Mimetic Theory
The hypothesis of increased incidence of
political scandals.
Proliferation of scandals.
The hypothesis of individualization. From 'all against all' to 'all against one'.
The hypothesis of sensationalizing the
trivial.
The random selection of the scapegoat.
The herd hypothesis. Mimesis and rivalry.
The command hypothesis. The 'first-stone' necessity and the accusers.
The gender hypothesis. Girard's 'patterns of persecution'.
The demonization hypothesis. Lynching of the victim.
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26. Media organizations
act as judges and
arbiters of that ritual:
the problem is that
there is no right to
appeal to a supreme
court.
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27. (3) Possible
Applications
to Contemporary
Phenomena
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28. Theindustryof
outrage
Strategic
interventionsin
scandals
Newmediaand
themob
Scandals,
democracy and
humanrights
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36. TENSIONSANDFURTHERQUESTIONS
revelation
ofevil?
perpetration
ofdamage?
HUMANRIGHTS?
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37. @JuanCannata
School of Communication
Austral University
Argentina
Facultad de Comunicación
UniversidadAustral
Argentina
www.austral.edu.ar/comunicacion
jcannata@austral.edu.ar