THE ROLE OF STATUS, AUTHORITY, POWER, PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THE GROUP

core value

sociologist Kurt Saxon outlines it as the “means of practising survival skills in anticipation of the apocalypse or in fear of the government”

what is the overall power structure of the survivalist/prepper movement

It is a leaderless movement with no centralised authority, but members are still shaped by their relationship to power and authority

power and authority at a macro level

distrust in the government; especially in the USA, regular natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and federal bodies such as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

power and authority at a meso level

within their own communities, certain people may take on more authoritarian or leadership positions because of their depth of knowledge or skill set (eg. those with military background are usually seen as more “qualified”)

power and authority at a micro level

individuals have the freedom to prepare and survive according to their own values, means and resources

doomsday clock

it is a symbolic clock showing how close humanity is to global catastrophe. preppers use it to legitmise their concerns and reinforce distrust in governmental capability to handle large-scale threats.

how does access to information and resources affect status in the prepper community

those with more knowledge, better equipment, money, the ability to bug out or specialised skills often hold higher status and influence within the subculture.