If you’ve ever watched the Nic Cage film, Lord of War, there’s a scene towards the end where he leaves a military plane parked on an airfield in Africa somewhere and they do a time-lapse of the natives stripping the entire thing down 24hrs.
I know it’s just a movie, but as a South African I can confirm it’s not that far fetched. Seen it happen to abandoned cars and trains many times
In 1969, psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted an experiment by abandoning two identical cars on urban streets. One was left in the affluent neighborhood of Palo Alto, California, and the other in the high-crime Bronx area of New York City. The Palo Alto car remained virtually untouched for days, while the Bronx vehicle was stripped of parts within hours by locals.
This stark contrast revealed deep socioeconomic divides and the impact of environment on behavior, underscoring how poverty and crime correlate with destructive actions in disadvantaged communities. Zimbardo's study, part of broader research into situational influences on human conduct, highlighted systemic issues in urban America that persist today.
This experiment is not an apt comparison between cultures. The difference is that the Bronx car stripping was a cultural norm, where unattended property is considered free for all. The Palo Alto car was demolished as entertainment once the people learned it was okay to destroy it. Not the same at all.
If you’ve ever watched the Nic Cage film, Lord of War, there’s a scene towards the end where he leaves a military plane parked on an airfield in Africa somewhere and they do a time-lapse of the natives stripping the entire thing down 24hrs.
I know it’s just a movie, but as a South African I can confirm it’s not that far fetched. Seen it happen to abandoned cars and trains many times
I spent three years in the early 80s training as an experimental psychologist.
This is the kind of thing I did over and over. Only we experimented on college students.
They were so cute standing on their hind legs trying to get their pellet.
In 1969, psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted an experiment by abandoning two identical cars on urban streets. One was left in the affluent neighborhood of Palo Alto, California, and the other in the high-crime Bronx area of New York City. The Palo Alto car remained virtually untouched for days, while the Bronx vehicle was stripped of parts within hours by locals.
This stark contrast revealed deep socioeconomic divides and the impact of environment on behavior, underscoring how poverty and crime correlate with destructive actions in disadvantaged communities. Zimbardo's study, part of broader research into situational influences on human conduct, highlighted systemic issues in urban America that persist today.
SOURCE: https://x.com/thedarshakrana/status/2053102451579080718
I think environment matters a lot when you are younger.
If I saw some random people destroying an abandoned car.
Trust me… I am not joining in. I would think something is wrong with them.
This experiment is not an apt comparison between cultures. The difference is that the Bronx car stripping was a cultural norm, where unattended property is considered free for all. The Palo Alto car was demolished as entertainment once the people learned it was okay to destroy it. Not the same at all.
Well well well