The elephant in the room : silence and denial in everyday life

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Title:

Author:

Zerubavel, Eviatar.

ISBN:

9780195187175

Personal Author:

Zerubavel, Eviatar.

Publication Information:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2006.

Physical Description:

xi, 162 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.

General Note:

Formerly CIP.

Contents:

A conspiracy of silence -- The rules of denial -- The politics of denial -- The social structure of denial -- Breaking the silence -- Some things are better left unsaid -- The trouble with elephants.

Abstract:

"In The Elephant in the Room, Eviatar Zerubavel sheds new light on the social and political underpinnings of silence and denial - the keeping of "open secrets." The author shows that conspiracies of silence exist at every level of society, ranging from small groups to large corporations, from personal friendships to politics. Drawing on examples from newspapers and comedy shows to novels, children's stories, and film, the book travels back and forth across different levels of social life, and from every-day moments to large-scale events. At its core, The Elephant in the Room helps us understand why we ignore truths that are known to all of us. Zerubavel shows how such conspiracies evolve, illuminating the social pressures that cause people to deny what is right before their eyes. We see how each conspirator's denial is symbiotically complemented by the others', and we learn that silence is usually more intense when there are more people conspiring - and especially when there are significant power differences among them. He concludes by showing that the longer we ignore "elephants," the larger they loom in our minds, as each avoidance triggers an even greater spiral of denial."--BOOK JACKET.

Subject Term:

Denial (Psychology) -- Social aspects.

Avoidance (Psychology) -- Social aspects.

Silence.

Secrecy.

Social psychology.

Electronic Access:

Publisher description http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0636/2005023273-d.html
Table of contents only http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0517/2005023273.html

Copies:

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Copy	Status
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168020382434	302.2 Z58E 2006	1	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

The fable of the Emperor's New Clothes is a classic example of a conspiracy of silence, a situation where everyone refuses to acknowledge an obvious truth. But the denial of social realities--whether incest, alcoholism, corruption, or even genocide-is no fairy tale. In The Elephant in the Room, Eviatar Zerubavel sheds new light on the social and political underpinnings of silence and denial-the keeping of "open secrets." The author shows that conspiracies of silence exist at every level of society, ranging from small groups to large corporations, from personal friendships to politics. Zerubavel shows how such conspiracies evolve, illuminating the social pressures that cause people to deny what is right before their eyes. We see how each conspirator's denial is symbiotically complemented by the others', and we learn that silence is usually more intense when there are more people conspiring-and especially when there are significant power differences among them. He concludes by showing that the longer we ignore "elephants," the larger they loom in our minds, as each avoidance triggers an even greater spiral of denial. Drawing on examples from newspapers and comedy shows to novels, children's stories, and film, the book travels back and forth across different levels of social life, and from everyday moments to large-scale historical events. At its core, The Elephant in the Room helps us understand why we ignore truths that are known to all of us.