Socials Theories of Hate: Geopolitical Analysis and Pedagogical Approaches

Tuesday, 8 July 2025
Location: FSE036 (Faculty of Education Sciences (FSE))
Distributed Paper
Maria del Pilar RIOS CAMPOS, Universidad de Jaen, Spain
Nuria RODRIGUEZ AVILA, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
Throughout history, hatred and evil have been recurring phenomena, manifesting in various forms, from wars and genocides to discrimination and interpersonal violence. These deep and multifaceted sentiments have captured the interest of the social sciences, primarily sociology and psychology, with the goal of understanding their roots and mechanisms.

In this communication, we propose a review of the main theories that have addressed hatred over time, from Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic perspectives to Philip Zimbardo's situational experiments. Our focus is on analyzing how hatred has been theorized from the 20th century to the present, highlighting the various explanations that thinkers have proposed to understand this complex phenomenon.

The work also explores the role of education in combating hatred, presenting contemporary pedagogical approaches that draw on theories of hatred to develop effective strategies. Among these approaches are Responsible Cultural Education, feminist pedagogies, and even movements such as the pedagogy of discontent, linked to punk rock.

By integrating sociological theories with educational proposals, we aim to contribute to a better understanding of hatred and highlight the initiatives currently being undertaken to combat it in educational contexts. These prevention-focused strategies have the potential to create more inclusive and aware spaces, capable of reducing the negative impacts of hatred on societies.