Lately Ive been pondering our peculiar and distinctive lack of collective action in opposition to events which unfold with increasing frequency, where some profit and others sink. Most social psychological research into political action focuses on the struggle between minority groups and authority to capture the hearts and minds of the silent majority. But Ireland currently presents with the opposite. The majority are angry, they are cheated, their belts are thrice wrapped round and yet they do nothing.
Begrudgery is a line that continues to pop into my head, and its begrudgery on a national scale that is quiet possibly keeping us in our place. A friend suggested a definition for begrudgery ‘its better that my neighbours horse dies than for me to have two horses’ which sums up some of the definitions I can find. But as I seek to understand this phenomenon in terms of our social selves I am drawn back to Tajfels minimal group studies of the 1970’s, where groups always seek to favour themselves over out-groups.
Consider how you would describe yourself to a stranger you begin with individual attributes then move to your group memberships, it defines part of who we are, and everyone wants those groups to be worthwhile. You are unlikely to associate strongly with groups that do not enhance your sence of self. We are inherently social animals activating various selves when placed in groups, the group norms and behaviours becoming activated depending on where and when you are, or who you identify with. As a supporter at a match its perfectly acceptable to shout at the referee but when the boss makes unwelcome decisions at work we don’t roar abuse at him (though we wish we could) the norms of different group behaviours become ‘active’ depending on the amount by which we immerse ourselves in the group. If you were dragged to the match, you are unlikely to shout because you do not identify with that group, and thus its norms.
Begrudgery seems to follow the Minimal group paradigm, whatever group you are in , you will always seek to maintain the sense that your group is distinct, better than or superior, usually at a cost to the outgroup. In numerous studies it has been proved that it’s not necessarily doing well, its doing better than the other group that matters. It’s all about what you have and more importantly its what the others don’t have. I hypothesise that our system of government based on clientlism and separate counties vying for what’s they see as rightfully theirs will keep us in this situation until such time as there is a complete overhaul of the political system. We protest for OUR hospital, OUR local school, OUR neighbourhood, we deeply identify with the locality and what politics can do for US, but we are impotent in the face of the great system.
When people from Clare or Sligo or Limerick or Carlow seeking to effect change in their neighbourhood know that it has to be brought about through protest at a national level. Perhaps then we will emerge from this young democracy where ‘not making a show of yourself’ might be a whisper and not a rule.
I’d very much like to hear YOUR version of begrudgery below, what do you think it is, please add to this debate.
No comments:
Post a Comment