A Paranoid Style? : The JFK Assassination and the Politics and Culture of Conspiracy Theory
Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis analyses the phenomenon of conspiracy theory, using the assassination of President \nJohn F. Kennedy as a case study. Doubt is the root cause of conspiracy theory, stemming from \nboth the innate biases all humans exhibit, and a traumatic experience – in this case the \nassassination of JFK. This thesis argues that conspiracy theories are created and take hold \nbecause of a predisposition toward conspiracy theory, a misinterpretation of a central piece of \nevidence, such as the Zapruder film, and agency panic, where dispossession causes one to feel as \nif their agency is under threat. Conspiracy theory can provide believers with many emotions \nwhich appear to the individual to not be available elsewhere, namely closure, comfort, control, \nand a sense of leisure. \nUsing the assassination of JFK, this thesis examines the role of conspiracy theory in \nmodern American society. It weighs up the benefits of conspiracy theory, such as it is an example \nof free speech and it can aid transparency, with the negatives: that it can possibly cause harm to \nits adherents and their dependants because of a belief in ends justifying the means. The \nconspiracy theory of David Lifton and how he came to form his ideas, and how Oliver Stone’s \nmovie JFK forced a huge document release will also be examined. The study of conspiracy theory \nitself is oft bifurcated. Humanities scholars tend to look at the implications of conspiracy theory \non society. On the other hand, those which have a background in social sciences usually focus on \nwhat causes people to accept and believe in conspiracy theory. Conspiracy theory, however, is a \ncomplex issue, and this division leaves one with an incomplete picture. By taking an \ninterdisciplinary approach, one can better understand both why conspiracy theory is so prevalent \nand how it became that way.
Author: Joseph Broadbent
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2122151262