Angels in hell: A study of Argentine rescuers during the political killings of 1976--1983

This dissertation is a study of Argentines who, during the repressive period of military rule in their country between 1976 and 1983, risked their lives to help people who were being persecuted. The main questions that the thesis addresses are: (a) Who were these "rescuers"? and, (b) What led them to get involved in rescuing activities while the great majority of the population remained passive? The contribution of the study is, in turn, two-fold. On the one hand, it has historical relevance because it expands our knowledge about the tragic period in Latin America when repressive regimes across the continent killed hundreds of thousands of people without due process. On the other hand, it is theoretically important in that it fills significant gaps in our understanding of rescue missions in particular and altruism and helping behavior more broadly. The study suggests the existence of a "banality of good" comparable to Hannah Arendt's "banality of evil". In other words, the main conclusion is that rescuers are not "angels" who possess inherent and distinctive characteristics that make them good, but instead, they are normal individuals who, under certain circumstances, engage in helping endeavors. In explaining why people risk their lives to help others, it is much more important to focus on social ties than on personal characteristics of the individuals involved. If someone has contact with people in the persecuted groups, it is more likely that he will: (a) be asked for help, (b) be able to help, and (c) be willing to help. The data for the study come primarily from thirty seven personal interviews with fourteen rescuers, nineteen non-rescuers, and four recipients of help. This data is complemented by nineteen written testimonies and seventeen oral testimonies by ten rescuers and twenty seven recipients of help. The data has been analyzed qualitatively.