[1] The idea that democracy emphasises individuality was considered a drawback, and Jones emphasised this main point of the movement in its motto: "Strength through discipline, strength through community, strength through action, strength through pride. Others cried openly and then brushed away tears to carry on. The Third Wave Experiment took place over five school days. "Mr. Jones, why don't you teach like this all the time." "[1], Although the experiment was not well documented at the time, it was briefly mentioned in two issues of the Cubberley High School student newspaper, The Cubberley Catamount. Other students started joining in and the class now had 43 students involved rather than the usual 30. For example, the theory that appeared after the Milgram experiment was that ordinary, good people, professionals and students alike would obey authority to the point that it could kill someone (up to 450V of electrical currentfar beyond that which can be sustained by a human being). Returning once again to the analyses made by Haslam, we can formulise different conclusions to the Third Wave Experiment which itself relates closely to other experiments and studies being made in the post-war years. Oh I was benevolent. Jones told his students of the true nature of the movement as an experiment in fascism, and presented to them a short film discussing the actions of Nazi Germany.[9]. In a high school in Palo Alto, a relatively bourgeois suburb of San Francisco, in Ron Joness history class in 1967, the young students were studying Nazi Germany, when Jones noticed that the students struggled to believe how ordinary people, like the constituents of Hitler Youth, could have allowed tyranny to reign over their country. Powerful. O my Gosh, I thought this story was amazing. During the days of the experiment I was curious how they would respond to the equalitarian and physical reshaping of the class. [9] Jones then assigned each of his students an individual assignment, such as designing a Third Wave banner, stopping non-members from entering the class, or recruiting their friends to join the movement. To release the tension I went to the chalk board and wrote in big letters "STRENGTH THROUGH DISCIPLINE." Was The Wave Experiment by Ben Ross Succesful. I demanded that they leave the room. A group photograph was taken. Ron Jones himself was, at the time, part of the Black Panther movement which was a far-Left activist organisation that was strongly opposed to the Vietnam war and the US government. 509-10) told his students in the . [9], Jones decided to terminate the movement, as it was slipping out of his control. Someone stood up and shouted. They demanded strict obedience of the rules from other students and bullied those that took the experiment lightly. The plea of ignorance. No one moved. Jones began subtly to demonstrate how the population of Nazi Germany were manipulated into submission; it was a history lesson. 2008 German Movie "Die Welle". In an embarrassed hug we greet. In the still darkened room I began the explanation. Schoolteacher Ron Jones's personal account of his experiment which created a proto-fascist movement amongst his high school pupils in Palo Alto, California, which in 2008 was subject of the award-winning film The Wave. I'm afraid something will happen to you. Kids were instructed in posture, began each remark with Mr. and saluted. Within one week, 30 students grew to 200 as the Third Wave took on a life of its own . I switched the television set on. He ordered students to attend a noon rally on Friday to witness the announcement. This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 16:27. When a student asks how so many people could be . The student was, in fact, an actor behind a screen in a different room, who would plead and let out cries of pain as the fictional volts increased. There was much more to see and try to understand. I particularly remember Robert. Played guitar and enjoyed drama. "There isn't any leader is there?" Let me show you your future. No psychological effects were reported, and his students even respected and revered him yet more for his unusual lessonhence the documentary was made by two former classmates. If I suddenly jolted them back to classroom reality I would face a confused student- body for the remainder of the year. Jones?" Steve Conigio had been a sophomore student in my World History class. The intensity of the response became more important than the content. Let Minimal Lite's clean vibe and arresting design elements elevate your content to its fullest potential. "The Third Wave isn't just an experiment or classroom activity. Thirteen students had cut class to be a part of the experiment. It was for class members only. What's his name? I was following the group dictate as much as I was directing it. Motivations having been identified, it becomes easier to explain why tyrannical regimes can come to fruition and power. Hand curved in a similar fashion I return the gesture. It would later be called 'The Third Wave' experiment. [9] Jones started a movement called "The Third Wave" and told his students that the movement aimed to eliminate democracy. It felt hard to breathe and even harder to talk. To be right. The march of super race. A blank field of white. Good story as it goes, but could really have benefited from some analysis of the school as an ideological context in which this kind of behaviour is particularly prone to manifest, what with public education already being a system that favours obedience, conformity, and subservience. "Mr. Jones, have you seen this advertisement in Time magazine? I also questioned if they could make a good showing, because the press had been invited to record the event. This incidence of monitoring meant that half the class now considered it their duty to observe and report on members of their class. For a brief moment it all rushed back. Juden, Kommunisten, Zigeuner, Schwarzethere were labels for people according to what kind of offence or threat they posed to the regime so that everyone would know their place in society. He completed the third wave experiment because he was unable to teach his students how the German population in the Holocaust allowed the Jews to be treated the way they were. Something in all of us. The maneuver took five seconds. It was a wild gamble. You will keep this day and this rally a secret. Jones instructed the students on how to initiate new members. People being pushed into vans. In objective terms I began to describe the past events. The entire collection however looked like one force as they sat in perfect attention. We spent hours later talking about what he felt and did, but from that moment on Thursday morning I was more concerned with what might be happening at school. Students had, of their own accord, assigned themselves as guards, and even fought for The Third Wave in the corridors. This kind of lie has been criticised for being inherently unethical but is, in fact, the only way in which experimenters can ensure that their subjects are acting in an authentic way. "There is no leader! Once again I faced the thoughts of closing the experiment or letting it go its own course. Only a small minority of students saw through the faade, they were named the breakers who tore down Third Wave posters and replaced them with counter slogans. Proper seating became the most important aspect of learning. Everyone was capable and equal. How could the German populace claim ignorance of the slaughter of the Jewish people. "The Third Wave presents inside look at Fascism". I agree with you that Ron's pedagogical experiment was disastrous and that he did not make enough pedagogical preparation for his simulation of the Nazi totalitarianism with his students. You will not allow your friends and parents to know that you were willing to give up individual freedom and power for the dictates of order and unseen leaders. How a ballet dancer or painter works hard to perfect a movement. The feeling of never acting, never being a part of something, never supporting each other. This posture started with feet flat on the floor, hands placed flat across the small of the back to force a straight alignment of the spine. The Third Wave experiment brought to light our creepy reverence for authority, shedding harrowing Milgram-esque insight into how easily we assuage moral conflict and diffuse responsibility when we . Many students outside the class asked if they could join. I graduated in 1967 and lost contact with Ron, But my mother worked at the school and kept me up to date as to what was going on with him. It debuted on October 10[11] It was produced by Philip Neel and Mark Hancock, two of Jones's own former students. I am Mr. Jones. 'Lesson Plan' is a documentary featuring interviews of the original students and teacher of the 1967 Third Wave experiment. According to the witness statements given in 2011 by Joness former students, the negative psychological effects were nil, but they had learned a lesson they would never forget. I walked over to Robert and threw my arms around him. The balance between role playing and directed behavior became indistinguishable. The only thing that allowed them all to fit was the enforced discipline of sitting in silence at attention. Robert is like so many kids in school that don't excel or cause trouble. in fact I instructed the class in a sitting posture. The same can often be said in the natural sciences. It's a bit of both isn't it? With everyone sitting at attention I slowly raised my arm and with a cupped hand I saluted. Jones intended only a one-day experiment.[9]. The Third Wave was an experimental social movement created by California high school history teacher Ron Jones in 1967 to explain how the German population could have accepted the actions of the Nazi regime during the rise of the Third Reich and the Second World War.. Though I formally appointed only three students to report deviate behavior, approximately twenty students came to me with reports about how Allan didn't salute, or Georgine was talking critically about our experiment. Like the Germans, you will have trouble admitting to yourself that you come this far. On Thursday I began to draw the experiment to a conclusion. Each Student had a job and they weren't to . Upon receiving this card the new member had to demonstrate knowledge of our rules and pledge obedience to them. [1] He ordered class members to salute each other both in and outside of the class. [9] Jones instructed three students to report to him when other members of the movement failed to abide by the rules. You chose to accept that group's will and the big lie over your own conviction. By the end of the day over two hundred students were admitted into the order. I don't know maybe he just imbelished a little or something. We would have put on the uniform. This is the wrong interpretation and the wrong conclusion to make. It would be too painful and demeaning for Robert and the students like him to be twisted back into a seat and told it's just a game. Many of the students were completely into being Third Wave Members. The Third Wave Is a nationwide program to find students who are willing to fight for political change in this country. You can't admit to being manipulated. it's discipline. Ron's problem is he let it get out of control and that is why he was fired. It's taken three years. You bargained your freedom for the comfort of discipline and superiority. Very interesting experiment. Don't you feel better.". I just kept talking. The air in the room seemed to be drying up. I found myself sliding into the role even when it wasn't necessary. Strength through action Despite their protests against the idea that they would themselves be fooled by tyranny in the same way that Hitler Youth and the German people were, the students nevertheless fell for the experiment, and the authority of their tutor led them to fully believe in The Third Wave movementdespite the fact that it was completely made up. All of the questions probed at imaginary situations and sought to discover the meaning of this event. It must be coming on. The school cook asked what a Third Wave cookie looked like. 2010 Third Wave Documentary Film "Lesson Plan". "Oh my gosh," he gasped. Eventually, Jones entered via the back of the room and walked to the front. I was now acting instinctively as a dictator. This rally is for members only.". Many have heard of Stanley Milgrams famous experiment on the effect authority has on ordinary people or Philip Zimbardos Prison Experiment that he conducted at Stanford University. It concerned a bewilderment at the German populace claiming ignorance and non-involvement in the Nazi movement. Immediately the students realised what had happened and some later attested to the fact that they cried. Following my description of community I once again told the class that community like discipline must be experienced if it is to be understood. "Listen closely, I have something important to tell you." It was a silent signal of recognition. Still the viewers persisted. Can I do it Kr. The project was adapted into an American film, The Wave, in 1981, and a critically acclaimed German film, Die Welle, in 2008. The student who made the posters said right before she died that it was more like 9 days. I felt air rush back into the room. The salute was give. It caused a lot of problems at the school because students were not prepared properly to understand what was being taught. The Nazis also hid many of their crimes from their own people, named themselves national socialists (when they were, in fact, not socialist but fascist) and managed to abolish unemployment (food was nevertheless lacking across the country, much like in Stalins Ukraine). I confided that they were the students selected to represent their area. The other option of just letting the experiment run its course was also out of the question. 1981 Todd Strasser (Morton Rhue) Novelization "The Wave". We have seen that fascism is not just something those other people did. In focus drills I concentrated attention on the feet being parallel and flat, ankles locked, knees bent at ninety degree angles, hands flat and crossed against the back, spine straight, chin down, head forward. In her book, Eichmann in Jerusalem (1963), Hannah Arendt wrote about the apparent normal psychological behaviour Adolf Eichmann demonstrated during his trial. The first day, the students acted almost as if it were a game and obeyed the commands of their teacher who they already trusted and respected. Not a vacant seat could be found. Adolf Eichmann, however, was no ordinary man. Be ready to display the discipline, community, and pride you have learned. That's how it all started. The act of apology. Hand raised upward in a shape of a curling wave. I told the assembly that a full explanation would take quite a while. The feeling being correct was more desired than being free. When accosted by an English teacher for being a student in the "teachers' room" her just smiled and informed the faculty member that he wasn't a student. A new member had only to be recommended by an existing member and issued a card by me. Yes, we know in a small way what it feels like to find a hero. He gave them lessons in how to sit correctly, which they also obeyed with little persuasion after being told that sitting properly allowed more oxygen into the lungs, helping them to think more clearly and thus improve their grades. The visual stench of death camps. You would be walking down the hall when all of a sudden three classmates would turn your way each flashing a quick salute. Or he is exaggerating, or what? I explained how at noon on Friday a national candidate for president would announce the formation of a Third Wave Youth Program. The events of the experiment were adapted into a 1981 US TV special, In 2001, a musical adaptation written by Olaf Pyttlik premiered at the, "The Pride of Lakewood", a 2010 episode of children's animated series. Many students were over the line. In the final twenty-five minutes of the class I introduced some new rules. The Milgram experiment was a famous and controversial study that explored the effects of authority on obedience. He calls me Mr. Jones. Arrogance, violence, terror. For years after the second world war, when the world had time to reflect, we had taken the conclusions of these experiments and the words of Arendt to conclude that evil, in itself, is banal, and can be found in the most ordinary of upstanding citizens. To grab quick solution. This conclusion falls flat on the hard ground, as many critics have concluded, including Arendt herself. "Through the experience of the past week we have all tasted what it was like to live and act in Nazi Germany. Our class was called Tech Prep(senior class) and it had only 13 boys in the class. I whispered to him to watch closely and pay attention to the next few minutes. One-third of participants refused to do it, while another two-thirds complied, with a great deal of trauma done to them-and the rats. Some of their faces were relaxed with smiles that come from pleasing the teacher. [9] Subsequent articles by other authors followed, some featuring interviews with Jones and the students involved. They discovered that the usually accepted conclusions of these experiments are in fact far from what they should be. Over two hundred students were crammed into the room. Following the analyses of Israeli-German historian, Yaacov Lozowick, two British professors, Alex Haslam and Steve Reicher, have studied the experiments of Stanley Milgram and Philip Zimbardo. I didn't know the answer. It was fun. The room stayed deadly still. What does he do now (or after he was fired)? Jones added "Strength Through Action" to the chalkboard. On the contrary, they analysed the very specifics of the experiment to come up with a more thorough hypothesis. How could the townspeople, railroad conductors, teachers, doctors, claim they knew nothing about concentration camps and human carnage. My job. I will remain an ageless benchmark in his life. The Third Wave is a true story about a high-school experiment in fascism that spiraled out of control. Hold them tight. invisible. Then it was time to part. There were the athletes, the social prominents, the student leaders, the loners, the group of kids that always left school early, the bikers, the pseudo hip, a few representatives of the school's dadaist click, and some of the students that hung out at the laundromat. He normally let them call him Ron, and was much respected, charismatic and popular. Although . I was exhausted and worried. [10][6] Another issue of the paper has a longer account of the experiment at its conclusion. We can bring it a new sense of order. Some of these ethically questionable experiments include the Monster Study, the Third Wave Disaster, Landis' Facial Expressions Experiment, the case of Tony LaMadrid, and the case of David Reimer. From Ron's description it is clear to me that his students (many? Of believing so thoroughly in yourself and your community or family that you will do anything to preserve, protect and extend that being. We knew that it was interesting learning about different political systems, but not something we would ever emulate. Answers *tarted to stretch out as students usually hesitant to speak found support for their effort. It's Steve, Steve Conigio. While the class sat in stern silence I began to talk lecture sermonize about the value of community. Thanks, Eugene Oral history of Ernest DeMaio, from his early radicalizing experience of the First, The autobiography of Fred W. Thompson - socialist, Wobbly, organizer, soapboxer, editor, class-war prisoner, educator, historian, and publisher, A collection of essays written by Dwight Macdonald, most of which appeared in his. I read every word of information as a student of life and learning the root of human need for belonging. They aren't bright, they can't make the athletic teams, and don't strike out for attention. They waited. Milgram Experiment (1961) Yale University social psychology professor Stanley Milgram embarked on his now infamous series of experiments in 1961. They, in fact, believed in change but were easily indoctrinatedif only for those five daysby what they believed was a superior cause. For a week in the middle of a school year we had shared fully in life. Students were cutting class to participate and the school counselors were beginning to question every student in the class. Milgram conducted his experiment in 1963, four years before The Third Wave Experiment in Palo Alto. Every fibre strained to perform the deed. "Everyone turned in shock. Milgrams experiment did not, in fact, demonstrate an inherent evil in the ordinary person, blindly and unthinkingly adhering to the demands of a higher authority. It was rewarding to see their satisfaction and excitement to do more. 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