Edward Bernays is known primarily for being the Father of Spin but also nephew to psychoanalysis expert Sigmund Freud. Further to my previous blog about Freud, I am now going to investigate further into the mind of his close relative to see how he managed to use the subconscious to manipulate public opinion.
Bernays used psychology to help get into the minds of the public’s by using persuasive campaigns. He believed that propaganda that was seen throughout the Nazi period in Germany as well as all over the world during and just after the World Wars were perfect examples of how psychoanalysis could be linked to public relations.
"If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it? The recent practice of propaganda has proved that it is possible, at least up to a certain point and within certain limits."
He believed that deep understanding of the mind and how humans operated meant that manipulation of thought processes, even on a large target audience, could be possible. This was all documented in his essay “The Engineering of Consent” first published in 1947. Bernays believed that those who were undisciplined or lacking in religious guidance or morals could easily be manipulated subconsciously as they had no strong beliefs.
Bernays could be held responsible for the high levels of women smokers today, as it was him in the 1920’s who manipulated the minds of women everywhere from turning smoking into a taboo activity to a socially acceptable and attractive act. He manipulated women by showing powerful, strong females smoking and called cigarettes the “torches of freedom”.
Surely this is what Public Relations is all about; as advertising makes the reader perfectly aware that they are trying to be sold something. However, through the use of public relations we are not subconsciously aware of what message is hidden behind a story. I know for a fact that I have been tricked into buying products purely through great PR, and now that I have a deeper understanding on what PR is as well as knowing the methods Edward Bernays and Freud used I think I will be able to spot the spin even more in the future.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Freudian Fuss
Psychology has always interested me since I took it up for ‘A’ level, however, one particular sector of psychology has got me thinking.; The “Psychodynamic approach”. After looking over my revision essays which is what makes up most of this blog post, I got thinking about Freud and whether I believe.
Now to most people this is the branch of psychology that is most known and disagreed with. Everyone seems to have a reason to doubt Freud and to be fair to him, all his findings are completely unfalsifiable and hence this is understandable. For me, nevertheless, I believe strongly in his works. Freud believed that psychoanalysis could uncover unconscious desires and conflicts that had happened in the past to solve mental disorders. If the unconscious was made conscious Freud believed that it would help the individual cope better with inner emotional conflict that is causing the conflicts. Freud’s technique aims to help the client gain insight and awareness to their repressed conflicts to discover the root cause of their illness. He did this in a number of ways which I will explain so that you can have a better idea of how Freud worked.
Dream analysis is where an analyst tries to interpret the client’s dreams to try and uncover their unconscious. Freud believed that dreams are unconscious drives disguised in symbolic form. There are two types of content – the manifest and the latent. The manifest content is what the dreamer will claim what happened (e.g. Shooting a teacher) and the latent content is what the analyst will interpret the dream to mean – which represents the dreamers urges (e.g. Ejaculation). Freud believed that dreams were wish fulfilment – usually based on a sexual or aggressive nature. Bring the subconscious ideas to the conscious means that the person is then aware and can get help from someone to solve their mental disorders because they can find out the root cause.
Free association is another Freudian technique for making the unconscious conscious. The client lies on a couch and free flow their thoughts, feelings and images about anything and anybody as they are not being judged by the analyst who has to suspend their own values and beliefs for the sake of the client. Freud believed that eventually as the conscious mind is emptied out the unconscious mind will begin to seep through. Freud believes that all memories are ordered and eventually the client will come across a crucial memory that could be causing their mental disorder. The analyst will make notes from what the client says, and if they think they have heard anything that was particular random or unusual they may question the client, asking them to continue with that story to find out as much as possible.
Word association is another way of making the unconscious conscious. The analyst reads a list of words one at a time and asks the client to say the first word that comes in the mind when that word is said (e.g. Analyst – Sky, Client – Blue). The analyst will start off saying passive words (yellow, sand) then work up to more emotional words (shame, disgrace). The analyst would listen out for hesitations, mind blanks or unusual responses, which could potentially show an unconscious repressed memory.
Eventually the patient will go through “transference” once they are getting close to finding repressed memories especially if the repressed memory involves a person. The client begins to redirect their feelings to the therapist that are unconsciously meant to be directed at someone significant in the client’s life – which is usually a parent. This can take two forms – love or hate. The client could turn to hate the therapist because they think that they are not getting better and that they’ve messed up their life and will usually compare the behaviour they think their therapist is showing towards the person it is meant to be directed at e.g. their mother or father. However, they could also end up falling in love with their therapist and become obsessive. This is important as it shows clearly the unconscious mind trickling into the conscious mind as they are acting out how they feel. The therapist must not encourage or prevent the behaviour and counter transference is very important to avoid. In counter-transference the therapist acts on the transference the client is experience, for example the therapist could begin to think they are falling in love with their client, which is illegal and against the ethical guidelines.
I can understand why many may think that treatment such as these seem ridiculous and almost impossible to work, however, having experienced a repressed memory myself I can see how it may be true. My repressed memory came through a dream, it was almost as if someone were piecing together a puzzle in my mind and although I was upset at the time, facing up to my repressed memory made me feel unusually calm. Psychoanalysis takes a lot of time and can go on for 5-7 years with several 50 minute sessions a week. This means that it is very time consuming, as well as being very expensive – £70-150 a session adding up £163,800 a year. However, I managed to treat myself. Maybe our own minds are more powerful than they seem.
Now to most people this is the branch of psychology that is most known and disagreed with. Everyone seems to have a reason to doubt Freud and to be fair to him, all his findings are completely unfalsifiable and hence this is understandable. For me, nevertheless, I believe strongly in his works. Freud believed that psychoanalysis could uncover unconscious desires and conflicts that had happened in the past to solve mental disorders. If the unconscious was made conscious Freud believed that it would help the individual cope better with inner emotional conflict that is causing the conflicts. Freud’s technique aims to help the client gain insight and awareness to their repressed conflicts to discover the root cause of their illness. He did this in a number of ways which I will explain so that you can have a better idea of how Freud worked.
Dream analysis is where an analyst tries to interpret the client’s dreams to try and uncover their unconscious. Freud believed that dreams are unconscious drives disguised in symbolic form. There are two types of content – the manifest and the latent. The manifest content is what the dreamer will claim what happened (e.g. Shooting a teacher) and the latent content is what the analyst will interpret the dream to mean – which represents the dreamers urges (e.g. Ejaculation). Freud believed that dreams were wish fulfilment – usually based on a sexual or aggressive nature. Bring the subconscious ideas to the conscious means that the person is then aware and can get help from someone to solve their mental disorders because they can find out the root cause.
Free association is another Freudian technique for making the unconscious conscious. The client lies on a couch and free flow their thoughts, feelings and images about anything and anybody as they are not being judged by the analyst who has to suspend their own values and beliefs for the sake of the client. Freud believed that eventually as the conscious mind is emptied out the unconscious mind will begin to seep through. Freud believes that all memories are ordered and eventually the client will come across a crucial memory that could be causing their mental disorder. The analyst will make notes from what the client says, and if they think they have heard anything that was particular random or unusual they may question the client, asking them to continue with that story to find out as much as possible.
Word association is another way of making the unconscious conscious. The analyst reads a list of words one at a time and asks the client to say the first word that comes in the mind when that word is said (e.g. Analyst – Sky, Client – Blue). The analyst will start off saying passive words (yellow, sand) then work up to more emotional words (shame, disgrace). The analyst would listen out for hesitations, mind blanks or unusual responses, which could potentially show an unconscious repressed memory.
Eventually the patient will go through “transference” once they are getting close to finding repressed memories especially if the repressed memory involves a person. The client begins to redirect their feelings to the therapist that are unconsciously meant to be directed at someone significant in the client’s life – which is usually a parent. This can take two forms – love or hate. The client could turn to hate the therapist because they think that they are not getting better and that they’ve messed up their life and will usually compare the behaviour they think their therapist is showing towards the person it is meant to be directed at e.g. their mother or father. However, they could also end up falling in love with their therapist and become obsessive. This is important as it shows clearly the unconscious mind trickling into the conscious mind as they are acting out how they feel. The therapist must not encourage or prevent the behaviour and counter transference is very important to avoid. In counter-transference the therapist acts on the transference the client is experience, for example the therapist could begin to think they are falling in love with their client, which is illegal and against the ethical guidelines.
I can understand why many may think that treatment such as these seem ridiculous and almost impossible to work, however, having experienced a repressed memory myself I can see how it may be true. My repressed memory came through a dream, it was almost as if someone were piecing together a puzzle in my mind and although I was upset at the time, facing up to my repressed memory made me feel unusually calm. Psychoanalysis takes a lot of time and can go on for 5-7 years with several 50 minute sessions a week. This means that it is very time consuming, as well as being very expensive – £70-150 a session adding up £163,800 a year. However, I managed to treat myself. Maybe our own minds are more powerful than they seem.
Trains fair?
Travelling has become a way of life for me. Every weekend I mission to Leeds train station overnight bag filled with going out clothes and straighteners ready for an adventure in another city. However, every week I sit on nationalrail.com trying to find the cheapest train fare. It seems crazy to me that even with student discounts and booking long in advance I spent the majority of my money on trains.
Even with websites like thetrainline.co.uk which offers 33% off all rail tickets travelling has become a burden. I know I am not the only one that loves to travel, many of my friends have boyfriends in other cities or jobs back at home that they have to travel for. It seems ridiculous to me that even with cars and carbon emissions burning holes in the O-zone that train lines are still determined to be burning holes in my pocket! Surely it is in the interest of all to lower train and bus fares so we can save the environment? Maybe next year!
Even with websites like thetrainline.co.uk which offers 33% off all rail tickets travelling has become a burden. I know I am not the only one that loves to travel, many of my friends have boyfriends in other cities or jobs back at home that they have to travel for. It seems ridiculous to me that even with cars and carbon emissions burning holes in the O-zone that train lines are still determined to be burning holes in my pocket! Surely it is in the interest of all to lower train and bus fares so we can save the environment? Maybe next year!
Sunday, 23 November 2008
The manic rush to Christmas...
We are now sprinting towards Christmas, with the shops playing Christmas carols at any opportunity and there is talk of getting calendar's in our flat. With Fresher's week being two months ago it seems scary how fast time has gone in the fact that Christmas is only one month away. Where has the time gone?
My parents are repeatedly telling me that students have too much time on their hands and that filling my days off and free hours will make the time fly. I took their advice and fill my days off with tasks and objectives then my free hours in between lecturers either working or spending time with friends in the SU. Now, I seem to blink and the weeks fade away.
I guess it's a good sign that I am thoroughly looking forward to my Christmas at home; to be back with my family and friends. As with all the assignments and presentations that are due in over the next month, I daresay Christmas is sooner than I think.
My parents are repeatedly telling me that students have too much time on their hands and that filling my days off and free hours will make the time fly. I took their advice and fill my days off with tasks and objectives then my free hours in between lecturers either working or spending time with friends in the SU. Now, I seem to blink and the weeks fade away.
I guess it's a good sign that I am thoroughly looking forward to my Christmas at home; to be back with my family and friends. As with all the assignments and presentations that are due in over the next month, I daresay Christmas is sooner than I think.
My very first blog...
It's funny, in today's society we are constantly talking about ourselves; our hobbies, friends and activities we enjoy doing. However, when faced with the idea of writing an "about me" suddenly my mind goes blank. So I'll keep this short and sweet.
My name is Emily Garner and I live in Cambridge. I have just started my next great adventure at Leeds Metropolitan University and am studying Public Relations. I am starting this blog because although I have met many other PR students on my course here, I am aware of all the other students at other universtites that I considered as well as possible future employers.
So far, I couldn't have asked for more from university. It's given me the opportunity to meet new people as well as allowing me to learn more about life in PR. I love that every day something new arrises and brings about a new challenge.
Keep reading...
Many thanks,
Em
My name is Emily Garner and I live in Cambridge. I have just started my next great adventure at Leeds Metropolitan University and am studying Public Relations. I am starting this blog because although I have met many other PR students on my course here, I am aware of all the other students at other universtites that I considered as well as possible future employers.
So far, I couldn't have asked for more from university. It's given me the opportunity to meet new people as well as allowing me to learn more about life in PR. I love that every day something new arrises and brings about a new challenge.
Keep reading...
Many thanks,
Em
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