Group Membership, Essay Example

If we accept that human beings are social animals, it follows that they are as well “herd” animals. Deep senses of comfort and security are attached to being within a group, and this is completely explicable. What occurs as well, however, is that the ambition to remain within, and serve, the group is often so strong, values are reduced or abandoned for the perceived greater reward of belonging. More to the point, social cognition, or the awareness and functions we assign to group existence, is inherently suspect in terms of motive. In a very real sense, the motives attached to social cognition are vastly abetted by prejudicial attitudes because these ease all processes of identification and assessment. We seek “tools” in maneuvering through life, usually employing a set belief about a thing to act as a template for defining others similar to it (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2010, p. 397). When our templates are validated by others, our position in the group is more assured, just as we will often adopt a bias because adherence to it by others.

I recall, in fact, being a part of this less than admirable process of group cohesion through discrimination. A number of children were gathered around a mentally challenged boy, teasing him. The boy seemed to perceive the attention as a game, but I, as I am sure did others, knew how unkind and abusive the behavior was. Nonetheless, I joined in for some minutes, simply because the attraction of being as one with the group was so strong. I do not believe I will ever forget this single episode wherein I surrendered my own values to enjoy group solidarity, and a solidarity shamefully biased.

References

Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2010). Social Psychology (7th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.