MASS REALITIES AND MASS CONSTRUCTIONS IN THE THIRD-REICH AND IN MEDIA SOCIETY

Abstract

Traditional theoretical interpretations of mass society mythologize the actions of individuals >>in the mass<<. As a rule, many negative qualities (psychopathologies) derived from the psychology of the individual are attributed to >>the mass<<, which must be compensated for by >>leadership<<. This essay makes a plea for a systematic examination of the autonomous components of the behavior of individuals in groups, behavior upon which politicians and those involved in the media are dependent.