Paris experiences demonstrations of support for one or other of the candidates every Sunday. One of the questions implicitly posed by this election is that of inclusion.
Thinking about the inclusion of all the populations living in France of whatever origin, of whatever color of skin, of whatever first name, of whatever religion, is essential. And inclusion is neither assimilation, which aims for minority groups to conform to the majority group, nor integration, which is a mutual adaptation between migrants and host societies, but rather inclusion, which aims at the adaptation of society to those who compose it.
And the research has something to say about it?
Identity themes have invaded the French political field during this period of the electoral campaign. The exaltation of the nation, the rejection of the foreigner, the stigmatization of minorities are based on a distinction between the group of natives and that of foreigners, or even those that I call “sociological foreigners”, who are French people seen as strangers… An excellent article by Laurent Bègue-Shankland published this week in Cerveau § psycho on “tribal bias” can help us understand.
What is “tribal bias” exactly?
Neurosciences can enlighten us on this dichotomy that we make without realizing it between THEM and US. From the point of view of the evolution of the human brain, our species has owed its survival to its ability to make members of its group work together. And therefore to distinguish themselves from OTHERS.
So the need to belong to a group is deeply rooted in our psyche?
Yes, but it has a negative consequence. It’s because the brain has begun to implicitly treat the rest of humanity in a very particular way: to classify them in a different category. An instinctive cognitive functioning pushes us to privilege our group to the detriment of others, that is the tribal bias. In other words, our prejudices are engraved in the unconscious.
And in times of uncertainty like the one we are experiencing (war, covid, economic crisis) the tribal bias is reactivated?
You have understood everything Ségolène. We need to reassure ourselves by waking up our tribal brain. To reduce this hostility between groups, we need ambitious long-term public policies, particularly through education and at the individual level, everyone must become aware of their own tribal bias. We will then manage to thwart the traps of our brain and limit our prejudices and perhaps discrimination.
As always, happiness can be learned!