Master Suppression Techniques
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The master suppression techniques is a framework articulated in 1945 by the Norwegian
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...
and
philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
Ingjald Nissen. These techniques identified by Nissen are ways to indirectly suppress and
humiliate Humiliation is the abasement of pride, which creates mortification or leads to a state of being humbled or reduced to lowliness or submission. It is an emotion felt by a person whose social status, either by force or willingly, has just decr ...
opponents. In the late 1970s, the framework was popularized by Norwegian
social psychologist Social psychology is the methodical study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. Although studying many of the same substantive topics as its counterpart in the field of ...
Berit Ås Berit Ås ( Skarpaas; 10 April 1928 – 14 September 2024) was a Norwegian politician, social psychologist, and feminism, feminist. Ås was the first leader of the Socialist Left Party (Norway), Socialist Left Party (1975–1976), and served as ...
, who reduced Nissen's original nine means to five, and claimed this was a technique mostly used in the workplace by men against women. Master suppression techniques are defined as strategies of social manipulation by which a dominant group maintains such a position in an (established or unexposed)
hierarchy A hierarchy (from Ancient Greek, Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy ...
. They are very prominent in Scandinavian scholarly and public debate, where the expression is also used to refer to types of social manipulation not part of Ås's framework. Master suppression techniques are sometimes called domination techniques.


The five master suppression techniques according to Ås


Making invisible

Silencing or otherwise marginalizing people in opposition by ignoring them. Examples: * A speaker claims ownership of an idea belonging to an opponent. * When it is the opponent's turn to speak, other attendees start to talk to each other or browse through their papers to undermine what the opponent is saying.


Ridicule

Portraying the arguments of an opponent, or the opponents themselves, in a
ridiculing Mockery or mocking is the act of insulting or making light of a person or other thing, sometimes merely by taunting, but often by making a caricature, purporting to engage in imitation in a way that highlights unflattering characteristics. Mocker ...
fashion. Example: * Telling an opponent that they look cute when they are angry while they are trying to make an accusation of wrongdoing against someone.


Withholding information

Excluding a person from the decision-making process, or knowingly not forwarding information so as to make the person less able to make an informed choice. Examples: * Not including someone in a meeting about a matter that concerns them. * Decisions are made not in a conference where everyone is present, but at a dinner party later in the evening where only some attendants have been invited.


Double bind

Punishing or otherwise belittling the actions of an opponent, regardless of how they act. Example: * Despite doing tasks thoroughly, the opponent receives complaints for being too slow. When tasks are done efficiently, the opponent receives complaints of being sloppy.


Heaping blame/putting to shame

Embarrassing someone or insinuating that they themselves are to blame for their position. Example: * When raising concerns about being
slander Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making wikt:asserti ...
ed, the opponent is told that it is their fault since they (for example) dress provocatively.


Later additions by Ås

Berit Ås has since added two supplementary master suppression techniques.


Objectifying

Discussing the appearance of one or several persons in a situation where it is irrelevant.


Force/threat of force

Threatening with or using one's physical strength towards one or several persons. Example: * "One more word from you and I'll smash your face!"


Countermeasures against master suppression techniques

A group of PhD students at Stockholm University has formulated five ''counter strategies'': * Take place * Questioning * The cards on the table * Break the pattern * Intellectualise They have also formulated five ''confirmation techniques'': * Visualizing * Adherence * Inform * Double reward * Confirm reasonable standards The
Centre for Gender Equality The Centre for Gender Equality (, formally ''Kompetansesenter for likestilling'') was a Norwegian government agency that existed from 1997 to 2006 to promote gender equality. It was a successor to the Council for Gender Equality, that existed fro ...
in Norway has also published an article about how to combat this phenomenon.Domination techniques: what they are and how to combat them
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See also

*
Psychological manipulation In psychology, manipulation is defined as an action designed to influence or control another person, usually in an underhanded or subtle manner which facilitates one's personal aims. Methods someone may use to manipulate another person may includ ...


References


External links


Berit Ås: Master Suppression Techniques
{{Abuse 1945 introductions Abuse Rhetoric Feminist theory Humiliation