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Ordinary People, Extraordinary Crimes: Bureaucratic Structures and the Banality of Evil

Steensma, Elisabeth LU (2025) SOLM12 20251
Department of Sociology of Law
Abstract (Swedish)
This thesis explores how Hannah Arendt’s idea of the "banality of evil" can clarify human rights abuses within bureaucratic systems, concentrating on the Nazi Holocaust and the internment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, China. By examining historical documents, official records, and accounts from survivors, the research investigates how administrative frameworks normalize and facilitate systemic violence. It contends that atrocities arise not only from ideological extremism but also from standard bureaucratic procedures carried out by average people who value institutional loyalty above moral considerations. Utilizing Arendt’s observations along with related theories from Zygmunt Bauman and Michael Lipsky, the thesis emphasizes the... (More)
This thesis explores how Hannah Arendt’s idea of the "banality of evil" can clarify human rights abuses within bureaucratic systems, concentrating on the Nazi Holocaust and the internment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, China. By examining historical documents, official records, and accounts from survivors, the research investigates how administrative frameworks normalize and facilitate systemic violence. It contends that atrocities arise not only from ideological extremism but also from standard bureaucratic procedures carried out by average people who value institutional loyalty above moral considerations. Utilizing Arendt’s observations along with related theories from Zygmunt Bauman and Michael Lipsky, the thesis emphasizes the importance of street-level bureaucrats in converting policy into real-life experiences. The results emphasize the necessity for a fresh ethical evaluation in modern governance, especially as nations increasingly depend on technocratic and algorithmic management. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Steensma, Elisabeth LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOLM12 20251
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
language
English
id
9194569
date added to LUP
2025-06-23 09:39:51
date last changed
2025-06-23 09:39:51
@misc{9194569,
  abstract     = {{This thesis explores how Hannah Arendt’s idea of the "banality of evil" can clarify human rights abuses within bureaucratic systems, concentrating on the Nazi Holocaust and the internment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, China. By examining historical documents, official records, and accounts from survivors, the research investigates how administrative frameworks normalize and facilitate systemic violence. It contends that atrocities arise not only from ideological extremism but also from standard bureaucratic procedures carried out by average people who value institutional loyalty above moral considerations. Utilizing Arendt’s observations along with related theories from Zygmunt Bauman and Michael Lipsky, the thesis emphasizes the importance of street-level bureaucrats in converting policy into real-life experiences. The results emphasize the necessity for a fresh ethical evaluation in modern governance, especially as nations increasingly depend on technocratic and algorithmic management.}},
  author       = {{Steensma, Elisabeth}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Ordinary People, Extraordinary Crimes: Bureaucratic Structures and the Banality of Evil}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}