To what extent is human nature malleable? Does evil triumph over humanity or does humanity win over evil? The Stanford Prison Experiment, known as one of the most notorious experiments in the study of human psychology, was conducted at Stanford University in 197l. Philip Zimbardo, a psychology professor, and a team of researchers wanted to study the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. Twenty-four undergraduate male students out of over 75 were selected to play randomly assigned roles of prisoners and guards in a mock prison located in the basement of the Stanford psychology building.
In an effort to make this experiment as real as possible, the college students were picked up by a police officer, read their rights and formally arrested, while neighbors watched in disbelief. Upon booking prisoners experienced a loss of control for their own lives. These events made them feel dehumanized, helpless and fearful. After prisoners made it to their cell and the study truly began some prisoners were made to feel
In 1971, a psychologist named Phillip Zimbardo had the idea to hold an experiment that would study the impact of becoming a prisoner or a guard at a prison. Zimbardo’s main focus was to expand on Milgram’s study of situational behaviors. A newspaper ad was put out asking for volunteers to be in a psychological study. Those that responded were picked up at their homes as if they were being arrested. They were completely convinced that they were actually being arrested.
Volunteers that were assigned as prisoners found out about their acceptance into the experiment when they were arrested in their home or on campus by real police. Investigation into human nature followed. Prisoners experienced being degraded, all types of punishment, despair, and depression as they started to actually believe they were prisoners. Guards took their role seriously as they enforced the law and asserted power and authority. The Stanford Prison Experiment, which was supposed to last for two weeks, ended after six days when researchers realized that some of the guards were becoming very abusive and some of the prisoners were forgetting that they were not real prisoners, and that this was just an experiment.
The public had no idea what went on inside the prison even though the public is typically the one determining the fate of these criminals as the jury. The public should know because it is deterrence for the rest of the public so they don’t wind up in
For the prisoners, they became depressed, psychologically distraught, dehumanized, and powerless. On the other hand, the guards made the most of their power to maintain prison standards by way of harassment, pornographic behaviors, and mind-bending tactics. In both situations, there was a incident of a rumor of a prison riot with didn’t occurred but aggravated the guards, which lead to more humiliation. The reality of these particular events is the simple fact that what occurred at Abu Ghraib was real, as for the Stanford Prison Experiment was nothing more than a research study on human behavior. When the Stanford Prison Experiment came to it’s end, the guards didn’t receive any form of punishment for their actions.
The film and book Shawshank Redemption is a story of a wrongly persecuted banker, Andy Dufresne, where he befriends a fellow convict, Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding, both serving time at Shawshank Prison with life sentences. Once at Shawshank, Andy quickly realizes that the prison warden and staff are corrupt and hypocritical which allows him to use his skills as a banker to gain the trust of the prison staff and warden thus allowing him to escape. The novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” was written by Stephen King and published in 1982. The film Shawshank Redemption was produced by Niki Marvin and Castle Rock Entertainment directed by Frank Darabont released in1994; casting Tim Robbins (Andy Dufresne), Morgan Freeman (Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding), Bob Gunton (Warden Norton), William Sadler (Heywood), Clancy Brown (Captain Byron T. Hadley), Gil Bellows (Tommy), Mark Rolston (Bogs Diamond), and James Whitmore (Brooks Hatlen). Though there are several dissimilarities between the film and book, the largest being found with the wardens, Tommy Williams, and Andy’s money; still allows the viewer to enjoy the film in absence of the missing details from the book.
They are not able to be housed with general population in fear that they will be retaliated against by other prisoners. The inmates in this unit may consist of sex offenders, ex-police officers, child abusers, and even rejected gang members. For these reasons they are put into their own unit for their “protection” from harm that fellow inmates may want to inflict on
And my favorite targets were the bible and God. But there was a legal limit to how much time one could be kept in solitary. Eventually, the men in the cellblock had a name for me: “satin.” Because of my anti religious attitude.”(Malcolm X, 156) Throughout his hustling days Malcolm completely rejected religion. And as a result rebelled from society and began to reject the so called “assimilating negroes.” I would argue that having a religion gives people moral standards to live buy some of those moral standards include no cheating, no lying, and no stealing. Malcolm made his living lying, cheating, and steeling.
The effect of social discrepancies was evident in Zimbardo’s prison experiment. In the experiment, average college students were chosen to play the roles of prison guards and prisoners for two weeks. Within a few days the superior guards began to abuse the prisoners. They stripped the prisoners naked, made them clean their toilets with their hands and sexually taunted them. (Zimbardo Ted Talks) This experiment has shown how average students can be driven to abuse their fellow citizens when they are in roles of superiority.