Our Fractured America
posted by Oliver D. Bentley | November 8, 2021 | In OpinionWhat has our country become if not simply various social groupings that have pitted themselves against one another?
We actively group ourselves according to race, religious preference, political identity, sexual orientation, gender, and on and on. Don’t get me wrong, it is good to understand different viewpoints and to assess alternative information. However, it has come to a point where we have fallen prey to the sociological concepts of in-group and out-group bias. Essentially, we become biased towards our in-group conforming to the standards, expectations, and belief of our in-group while regarding our group in positive terms. Likewise, we view those outside of our group as our opposites and perceive those individuals in largely negative terms.
Furthermore, we use the psychological concept of selective exposure, or actively seeking only information that confirms our beliefs as a means of validating our viewpoints. This leads to the perception of our own groups as being superior in thought and action with variance in views and undisputable beliefs. We then view those outside of our group as inferior and simple-minded.
We are actively making a mistake and only creating conflict between groups without actively seeking conflict resolution. As one group interacts negatively with the other based on these inaccurate group assumptions, we solidify these divisions by rejecting one another and asserting our perceived superiority over each other. This creates a vicious cycle of conflict that escalates over time and inhibits conflict resolution.
This cycle of social grouping only leads us to commit the ultimate attribution error. This is a sociological concept that determines that we will view our group members’ negative behavior as a product of the situation, whereas we will view the behaviors and actions of members outside of our group as a product of their unique personality traits.
When someone in our group behaves or acts negatively, we will excuse it by pointing to a “bad day.” Alternatively, we view the members outside of our group who behave or act negatively as being “jerks.”
We never stop to consider that the negative behaviors of out-group members are a biproduct of their unique situation. We simply conform to the notions of our group and accept their superiority.
The solution lies in challenging this implicit thought process that categorizes others as inferior, applies stereotypes to the whole, and does not account for situational factors that influence the behaviors and actions of others.
It is simply untrue that every member of the Muslim faith is violently aggressive. It is equally untrue to view all Christians as having the same tenants of Westboro Baptist Church, the church famous for its extreme conservative politics that protested fallen servicemen’s funerals.
I challenge us all to identify our most salient social group and to actively associate with those we view as an opposing group. The point being that when we interact with one another we begin to find that we have more in common with each other. Where there is common ground, we find an environment conducive for conflict resolution, a world where everyone is treated fairly and their voices are heard, and we can come to terms on how to move forward productively as a society. Isn’t this what we all want after all?
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