About ‘bystander societies’

Addiction Economy Thought for Today - about 'bystander societies' and 'implicated citizens'.

At the moment I am looking at the different models of addiction - social, biological, psychological - with a view to proposing an economic model to add to the collection.

I'm reflecting on how these different ideas of how and why we 'succumb' to addiction help inform how society sees and responds to those of us dealing with addictions and how easy it is to resort to simplistic framings. 'Poverty causes addiction', 'they have an addictive personality', 'it's their own fault they are addicted' and perhaps 'it's the companies what did it to me'! (Spoiler: it's all of these things and lots more!)

The whole picture on addiction shows society at its best and worst. But it has brought home to me how societal attitudes are shaped, how systems and processes mean we turn a blind eye, stigmatise, condemn, support. Sometimes all at the same time.

This popped up in my feed in The Conversation about how a 'bystander society' was created in Nazi Germany. I'm wondering if we've become one in the UK and how we got there. (Hey look, there's another two-word construct illuminating an issue differently).

Hundreds of thousands of people dying from preventable diseases caused by smoking, ultra-processed foods and alcohol for example. And yet politicians don't act because they are worried about appearing to be a 'nanny state'. Vested interests support that defence and many individuals and media sympathetic to that view shout louder than the majority with simplistic phrases or even misinformation.

Perhaps these are some of the ingredients of a bystander society, where the majority feel and often are powerless to make change, but become 'implicated citizens' by our failure or inaction? Will ponder.

The social Structure of Nazi Germany created a bystander society