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{{More citations needed|date=October 2018}}{{short description|Theoretical approach in sociology}} |
{{More citations needed|date=October 2018}}{{short description|Theoretical approach in sociology}} |
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'''Groupism''' is a [[theoretical approach]] in [[sociology]] that posits that [[conformity]] to the laws/norms of a group brings reciprocal benefits .<ref name=":0" /> Groupists assume that individuals in a group tend to have stronger affinity and obligation to a particular [[Social group|group]] when the influence of an authority figure brings a common goal.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Latella|first=Matthew|date=1994|title=Rethinking Groupism: An Alternative to the Postmodern Strategy|url=|journal=Dalhousie J. Legal Stud.|volume=3|pages=137|via=}}</ref> The concept of groupism can be defined and criticized in varied ways for disciplines such as sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political history and philosophy. Group-ism is defined in most dictionaries as the behavior of a member of a group where they think and act as the group norm at the expense of [[individualism]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groupism|title=Groupism|last=|first=|date=|website=Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 September 2018}}</ref> The term originated around mid 19th century and the first known use of the word recorded was in 1851.<ref name=":2" /> It is a general definition often used in Indian English as the tendency to form factions in a system setting.<ref name=":3" /> The term had also been used for “the principles or practices of [[Oxford Movement|Oxford Group movement]]” which is now historical and rare.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/groupism|title=groupism {{!}} Definition of groupism in English by Oxford Dictionaries|website=Oxford Dictionaries {{!}} English|access-date=2018-10-18}}</ref> |
'''Groupism''' is a [[theoretical approach]] in [[sociology]] that posits that [[conformity]] to the laws/norms of a group brings reciprocal benefits such as right.<ref name=":0" /> Groupists assume that individuals in a group tend to have stronger affinity and obligation to a particular [[Social group|group]] when the influence of an authority figure brings a common goal.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Latella|first=Matthew|date=1994|title=Rethinking Groupism: An Alternative to the Postmodern Strategy|url=|journal=Dalhousie J. Legal Stud.|volume=3|pages=137|via=}}</ref> The concept of groupism can be defined and criticized in varied ways for disciplines such as sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political history and philosophy. Group-ism is defined in most dictionaries as the behavior of a member of a group where they think and act as the group norm at the expense of [[individualism]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groupism|title=Groupism|last=|first=|date=|website=Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=24 September 2018}}</ref> The term originated around mid 19th century and the first known use of the word recorded was in 1851.<ref name=":2" /> It is a general definition often used in Indian English as the tendency to form factions in a system setting.<ref name=":3" /> The term had also been used for “the principles or practices of [[Oxford Movement|Oxford Group movement]]” which is now historical and rare.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/groupism|title=groupism {{!}} Definition of groupism in English by Oxford Dictionaries|website=Oxford Dictionaries {{!}} English|access-date=2018-10-18}}</ref> |
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== Perspectives == |
== Perspectives == |
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===[[Rogers Brubaker|Roger Brubaker]]: |
===[[Rogers Brubaker|Roger Brubaker]]: Social groupism === |
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Groupism has been a |
Groupism has been a deeply entrenched and fundamental aspect of social analysis of nationalism, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexuality, age, class<ref name=":4">{{Citation|last=Brubaker|first=Rogers|title=Ethnicity, Nationalism, and Minority Rights|pages=50–77|year=2004|chapter=Ethnicity without groups|publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/cbo9780511489235.004|isbn=978-0-511-48923-5}}</ref> or even groups with combination of these categories but with a common interest in other universal categories like sports, music and values. It is commonly seen on everyday context in media reports and even academic research leading to policy analysis. According to Brubaker, it is the view that division among humans such as ethnicity is an absolute, unchanging entity rather than a changing conceptual variable subject to time and context.<ref>{{Citation|date=2005-01-11|pages=470–492|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-8588-2|doi=10.1215/9780822385882-016|title = Remaking Modernity|chapter = Ethnicity without Groups}}</ref> It is the tendency to take discrete groups as chief protagonists of social conflicts, to treat ethnic groups, nations and races as substantial entities and reify such groups as if they were unitary collective actors. It is considered a "process in which individuals are reduced to specific group characteristic which are politicised as boundaries".<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last=Baer|first=Susanne|date=2013-03|title=Privatizing Religion. Legal Groupism, No-Go-Areas, and the Public-Private-Ideology in Human Rights Politics|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cons.12024|journal=Constellations|volume=20|issue=1|pages=68–84|doi=10.1111/cons.12024|issn=1351-0487}}</ref> Conceptual groupism essentialise groups without taking into account that they can be labelled as an epistemological framework.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/951762202|title=Cultures of crisis in Southeast Europe.|last=editor.|first=Roth, Klaus, 1939- editor. Kartarı, Asker, 1952-|isbn=978-3-643-90763-9|oclc=951762202|year=2016}}</ref> In the example of ethnic groups, it involves viewing an individual in the group as the collective representative of the values or conflicts associated with the social norm of that group.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Valkonen|first=Jarno|last2=Valkonen|first2=Sanna|last3=Koivurova|first3=Timo|date=2016-06-19|title=Groupism and the politics of indigeneity: A case study on the Sámi debate in Finland|journal=Ethnicities|volume=17|issue=4|pages=526–545|doi=10.1177/1468796816654175|issn=1468-7968}}</ref> American sociologist [[Rogers Brubaker|Roger Brubaker]] has criticised conceptual groupism for its stereotypical approach in social and political analysis which leads to decisions that trivialize individual need to protect the labelled collective interest of a political group or institution.<ref name=":4" /> Brubaker suggests that instead of taking 'groups' as substantial entities, social and political analysis of the 'groupness' should be brought about interms of the following.<ref name=":4" /> |
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* "practical categories, |
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* cultural idioms, |
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* cognitive schema |
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* discursive frames |
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* organizational routines, |
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* institutional forms |
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* political projects |
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* contingent events". |
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===[[Susanne Baer]]: Legal groupism === |
===[[Susanne Baer]]: Legal groupism === |
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=== The [[Sami people|Sámi]] debate in Finland === |
=== The [[Sami people|Sámi]] debate in Finland === |
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The Finland government ratified [[Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989|ILO convention no.169]] in 1989 which involved declaration of right for indigeneous people of Finland.<ref>{{Citation|last=Swepston|first=Lee|title=Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169)|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004289062_010|work=The Foundations of Modern International Law on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples|pages=343–358|publisher=Brill|isbn=9789004289062|access-date=2018-11-06}}</ref> This has led to a problem of defining the legal status of Sami indigenous people as the groupist thinking has framed indigeinity as a political requirement rather than an ethnocultural reality. |
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The legal status of Sami indigenous people is categorised such that |
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=== Ethnic groupism in Malaysian workplace === |
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=== Groupism in Japan === |
=== Groupism in Japan === |
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Groupism is a theoretical approach in sociology that posits that conformity to the laws/norms of a group brings reciprocal benefits such as right.[1] Groupists assume that individuals in a group tend to have stronger affinity and obligation to a particular group when the influence of an authority figure brings a common goal.[1] The concept of groupism can be defined and criticized in varied ways for disciplines such as sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political history and philosophy. Group-ism is defined in most dictionaries as the behavior of a member of a group where they think and act as the group norm at the expense of individualism.[2] The term originated around mid 19th century and the first known use of the word recorded was in 1851.[2] It is a general definition often used in Indian English as the tendency to form factions in a system setting.[3] The term had also been used for “the principles or practices of Oxford Group movement” which is now historical and rare.[3]
Perspectives
Roger Brubaker: Social groupism
Groupism has been a deeply entrenched and fundamental aspect of social analysis of nationalism, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexuality, age, class[4] or even groups with combination of these categories but with a common interest in other universal categories like sports, music and values. It is commonly seen on everyday context in media reports and even academic research leading to policy analysis. According to Brubaker, it is the view that division among humans such as ethnicity is an absolute, unchanging entity rather than a changing conceptual variable subject to time and context.[5] It is the tendency to take discrete groups as chief protagonists of social conflicts, to treat ethnic groups, nations and races as substantial entities and reify such groups as if they were unitary collective actors. It is considered a "process in which individuals are reduced to specific group characteristic which are politicised as boundaries".[6] Conceptual groupism essentialise groups without taking into account that they can be labelled as an epistemological framework.[7] In the example of ethnic groups, it involves viewing an individual in the group as the collective representative of the values or conflicts associated with the social norm of that group.[8] American sociologist Roger Brubaker has criticised conceptual groupism for its stereotypical approach in social and political analysis which leads to decisions that trivialize individual need to protect the labelled collective interest of a political group or institution.[4] Brubaker suggests that instead of taking 'groups' as substantial entities, social and political analysis of the 'groupness' should be brought about interms of the following.[4]
- "practical categories,
- cultural idioms,
- cognitive schema
- discursive frames
- organizational routines,
- institutional forms
- political projects
- contingent events".
Susanne Baer: Legal groupism
Legal groupism is the construction of groups in legal matter as defined by the German legal scholar Susanne Baer. Legal groupism also posits that equal right should be given to groups hence assuming that people always belong to a "distinguishable" group rather than many. This concept is regarded as problematic because most groups have unclear and shifting boundaries due to individuals living multiple identities and group characteristics.[9] Therefore, Legal groupism come into conflict with the idea of individual rights when human rights issues are constructed as group issues in law and complete autonomy given to major religious institution in the name of religious freedom then curtail individual human right issues.[6] For example when constitutional law allows churches and religious communities to self determine matters conflicting with human rights without considering the rights of diverse individuals within a seemingly homogeneous group[9], such overlapping between human rights and religion has led to lack of legal intervention in matters like sexual discrimination. For example religious authority power to internally handle child abuse cases, the European Union's exemption of religious organisation from fundamental rights in the the EU proposal for a new Directive against discrimination 2008. [6]
Case studies
The Sámi debate in Finland
The Finland government ratified ILO convention no.169 in 1989 which involved declaration of right for indigeneous people of Finland.[10] This has led to a problem of defining the legal status of Sami indigenous people as the groupist thinking has framed indigeinity as a political requirement rather than an ethnocultural reality.
Groupism in Japan
Groupism is viewed as deeply rooted part of the Japanese group oriented society known for their high productivity, cooperative attitude and surpassing international competitive strength.[11] Some of the key aspects of groupism in Japanese society has been discussed in the journal article, 'The Paradox of Japan's Groupism: Threat to Future Competitiveness' by Kanji Haitani.[11]
- Identity and well being: unmei kyodotai meaning "communities of shared destiny" is a core principle in Japanese culture where individual's well being and sense of security is maximised as a result of recognition and prosperity they get as a group.
- Seniority: There is close correlation between a member's age and their rank in a system.
- Emphasis on the relationships of harmony and conflict (wa): The wa concept encompasses the concept of 'Isshin – dotai' meaning 'one mind – same body'. Here 'one mind' refers to how senior members take into account the views of junior members who reciprocally internalizes the wisdom of the senior members.
- The insider-outsider mentality: Insider and Outsider groups are generally separated with clear distinction.
- Rank and status consciousness
- The closed nature of Japanese market in context of international economy
Social hierarchy in traditional music making process
The ryūha-iemoto system refers to social organisation in Japanese traditional music making which is shown to be dominated by the hierarchical form of groupism. This involves an authoritative group called "Miyagi- ha" at the top of hierarchy who gets the greatest benefits of musical freedom, recognition, power and money. This group is known for transmission of their composition to subgroups down in the hierarchy. One of the characteristics of this form of social organisation involves lifetime affiliation as a subgroup member whereby there is no "graduation" or "becoming a free musician".[12]
Research
Social issues such as prejudice, discrimination, racism and nationalism can be ascribed to groupism. Social loafing which is when the presence of other members in a group causes some to avoid responsibilities. Social disruption whereby the presence of others negatively influences the performance of tasks. Social facilitation which is a phenomenon proposed by Robert Zajonc is another example of the positive aspects of groupism where the presence and influence of diverse groups enhances the performance of a task. This is the opposite of social disruption whereby the presence of others negatively influences the performance of tasks that are relatively difficult.
Scientific evidence from early hominids in Africa that shows human have evolved as small social groups that are predisposed to include or exclude others in an instinctual manner.[13] Evolution of humans as a unitary social species has led to the social status and sense of belonging that comes with identifying oneself or being identified as an individual in different categories of group. Research by anthropologist Robin Dunbar suggested that the ratio of the size of the neocortex to the brain size determines the amount of social relationship in different species and found that humans have relatively high social brain that can have tendency to form greater interpersonal networks of small groups than animals such as chimpanzees and dolphins with smaller neocortex size to brain size ratio hence smaller number of relationships.[14] Groupism has been explained in terms of a biological need to form social bonds according to the need to belong theory whereby deprivation of this need has been shown to have biopsychosocial consequences.[15] From the perspective of evolution, social influences on the individual based on natural selection has led to better adaptation and survival in various environments.
Conceptual links
Nationalism
Nationalism is a form of groupism which generally began as a sense of security provided by national identity to an unquestioning acceptance of a political agenda.[1] It is based on an abstract mentality of “victory” in one’s own group and considering the “other” as a separate entity.[1] The irrational obedience of German citizens during the Nazi regime of the 1930s and 1940s holocaust is a well known example of the negative consequences rooted in groupism.[16] In terms of Legal studies, international lawyer Philip Allot has criticized the concept of state sovereignty in the current international laws in promoting groupism and the lack of reform in the 21st century context.[1]
Prejudice against certain groups of people is rooted in groupism whereby conclusions or attitude about a group of people is drawn without evaluating the evidence and often leads to discrimination which refers to the behaviour of treating other groups in a different way than one's own group.[9]
- In-group bias: The tendency to favor members of one's own group than a person outside the group such as in sports or celebrity fan behavior.
- Out group homogeneity: The tendency to view all members from other groups as highly similar rather than viewing them as individuals.
These concepts are broadly summarised in terms of groupism and has negative consequences in the workplace or any form of system.
Persuasion through individuals, sub-groups or the group as a whole leads to behavioural change without rational choice. It also involves the power of normative influence from one's heritage, culture and tradition to which people comply with its social norms to gain recognition or to avoid other's disapproval.
References
- ^ a b c d e Latella, Matthew (1994). "Rethinking Groupism: An Alternative to the Postmodern Strategy". Dalhousie J. Legal Stud. 3: 137.
- ^ a b "Groupism". Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b "groupism | Definition of groupism in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
- ^ a b c Brubaker, Rogers (2004), "Ethnicity without groups", Ethnicity, Nationalism, and Minority Rights, Cambridge University Press, pp. 50–77, doi:10.1017/cbo9780511489235.004, ISBN 978-0-511-48923-5
- ^ "Ethnicity without Groups", Remaking Modernity, Duke University Press, 2005-01-11, pp. 470–492, doi:10.1215/9780822385882-016, ISBN 978-0-8223-8588-2
- ^ a b c Baer, Susanne (2013-03). "Privatizing Religion. Legal Groupism, No-Go-Areas, and the Public-Private-Ideology in Human Rights Politics". Constellations. 20 (1): 68–84. doi:10.1111/cons.12024. ISSN 1351-0487.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ editor., Roth, Klaus, 1939- editor. Kartarı, Asker, 1952- (2016). Cultures of crisis in Southeast Europe. ISBN 978-3-643-90763-9. OCLC 951762202.
{{cite book}}:|last=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Valkonen, Jarno; Valkonen, Sanna; Koivurova, Timo (2016-06-19). "Groupism and the politics of indigeneity: A case study on the Sámi debate in Finland". Ethnicities. 17 (4): 526–545. doi:10.1177/1468796816654175. ISSN 1468-7968.
- ^ a b editor., Rosenfeld, Michel, 1948- editor. Sajó, András,. The Oxford handbook of comparative constitutional law. ISBN 9780199689286. OCLC 852806207.
{{cite book}}:|last=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Swepston, Lee, "Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169)", The Foundations of Modern International Law on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, Brill, pp. 343–358, ISBN 9789004289062, retrieved 2018-11-06
- ^ a b Haitani, Kanji (1990-03). "The Paradox of Japan's Groupism: Threat to Future Competitiveness?". Asian Survey. 30 (3): 237–250. doi:10.1525/as.1990.30.3.01p03644. ISSN 0004-4687.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Halliwell, Patrick (2004). "Groupism and Individualism in Japanese Traditional Music". The World of Music. 46: 2.
- ^ J., Lawler, Edward (1986). Advances in group processes : a research annual. JAI Press. ISBN 978-0-89232-572-6. OCLC 21052740.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Dunbar, R. I. M. (1993-12). "Coevolution of neocortical size, group size and language in humans". Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 16 (4): 681. doi:10.1017/s0140525x00032325. ISSN 0140-525X.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Baumeister, Roy F.; Leary, Mark R. (1995). "The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation". Psychological Bulletin. 117 (3): 497–529. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.117.3.497. ISSN 0033-2909. PMID 7777651.
- ^ author., Lilienfeld, Scott O., 1960-. Psychology : from inquiry to understanding. ISBN 9780133793048. OCLC 869584554.
{{cite book}}:|last=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)