Authoritarianism research and the role of socialization

Abstract

The research tradition on authoritarianism is closely connected to German history, to the experiences of the Nazi dictatorship, and to the Holocaust. The Frankfurt School already worked on studies about authority and family in the early 1930 s (Horkheimer, Fromm, and Marcuse, 1936). Later the explanation of the developments in Nazi Germany was a central motivation for further research in the field. In 1950, The Authoritarian Personality by Adorno, Frenkel-Brunswik, Levinson, and Sanford was published. During the 1950 s and 1960 s, the idea that a personality structure rooted in a specific family constellation influences prejudice was widespread. Theoretical and methodological problems and a lack of further innovative work temporarily led to a decline of this approach.