000			a
999			_c33707 _d33707
008			250423b xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
020			_a9780195332605
082			_a302.2 _bZER
100			_aZerubavel, Eviatar
245			_aThe elephant in the room : silence and denial in everyday life
260			_bOxford University Press, _c2007 _aNew York :
300			_axi, 162 p. ; _c22 cm.
365			_b18.99 _c$ _d90.20
504			_aIncludes bibliographical references and index.
520			_aIn The Elephant in the Room, Eviatar Zerubavel sheds new light on the social and political underpinnings of silence and denial - the keeping of "open secrets." The author shows that conspiracies of silence exist at every level of society, ranging from small groups to large corporations, from personal friendships to politics. Drawing on examples from newspapers and comedy shows to novels, children's stories, and film, the book travels back and forth across different levels of social life, and from every-day moments to large-scale events. At its core, The Elephant in the Room helps us understand why we ignore truths that are known to all of us. Zerubavel shows how such conspiracies evolve, illuminating the social pressures that cause people to deny what is right before their eyes. We see how each conspirator's denial is symbiotically complemented by the others', and we learn that silence is usually more intense when there are more people conspiring - and especially when there are significant power differences among them. He concludes by showing that the longer we ignore "elephants," the larger they loom in our minds, as each avoidance triggers an even greater spiral of denial.
650			_aAvoidance
650			_aSocial aspects
650			_aPsychology
650			_aSecrecy
650			_aSocial psychology
650			_aEthics & Moral Philosophy
942			_2ddc _cBK