Tribalism and the dilemma of social bigotry
Tribalism, tribalism, tribalism?!
"Tribalism is the most powerful force in the world!" Patrick Dixon
How come? It's seemingly quite conspicuous that the term is realistic constitutes a lens we could see through an entire society with its various components. It explains a social fabric consists of a bunch of tribes share the same geographical spot owe allegiance to the same firm social norms are inherited generation-by-generation. Therefore, maintaining them vivid is necessary to keep on the values that the holistic concept of tribalism imposes on the tribal masses that pay a staunch support for.
As such, individualism has significantly failed to find its place within tribal societies, because it's not your own choice to make up your mind regarding even many personal matters that the family sticks up for values in a way the individual find living path is blocked down with patriarchal hurdles which she/he must be acquiescent to.
The concept pushes us to figure out the mystery behind the immense power it has according to Dixon. For me, I could testify after having been experiencing tribalism for almost three decades that indeed it has an incredible influence that people are shackled up with its spirituality that's vigorously inculcated in the mind. It's a dogma had been created in the MENA region before the message of Islam brought out in the Arab Peninsula many centuries ago.
The concept pushes us to figure out the mystery behind the immense power it has according to Dixon. For me, I could testify after having been experiencing tribalism for almost three decades that indeed it has an incredible influence that people are shackled up with its spirituality that's vigorously inculcated in the mind. It's a dogma had been created in the MENA region before the message of Islam brought out in the Arab Peninsula many centuries ago.
Characteristically, the Middle Eastern societies are tribally shaped, hierarchically the grand leader of each tribe owns the authority over those adherents who belong to. There are duties must be fulfilled other than alliance, like synergy from each member whether in times of intensity or leniency in order to keep the name of the clan or tribe held up and well-reputed because it's very important to keep this name pure. Otherwise, this tribe will lose in the competition arena, and this competition is multidimensional. For instance, if the tribe is well off economically, then its individual can garner prestigious posture in the society even politically those individuals of wealthy clans find themselves ruling over other worse off clans who sometimes can find their place in patriarchal-based society.
Basically, the relationships among the tribes plunge into the cycle of who have more dominance. Thus, the norm of power is highly considered, as a result, social ostentation occupies the scene. So, the equation as such, the more powerful your tribe is, the more positive reaction you receive.
Many anthropologists and thinkers have found out that tribalism is a fatal plague drives societies to complications in many spheres. Culturally, they could touch upon the reality devoid of its pluralism within tribal realms. It's attributed to the tribal-based mentality that doesn't find integrating into different cultural melting pot tastable. Conversely, it's kind of introversion violates cultural values.
Politically, tribal societies starkly lack sound democracy, even any democratic process inside the society ends up being a mirage because eventually, the culture of dominance is the watershed at any democratic process. For example, in the domestic elections, you find that candidates belong to stronger clans regardless how qualified they are, sweeping the positions.
It's imaginable to think a little bit of what Alexander Haig addressed,
"You have to look at the history of the Middle East in particular. It has been one of the failure and frustration, of feudalism and tribalism."
Needless to spin around the matters of failure, frustration, and feudalism, these dilemmas are found in Latin America as well. But, here Alexander has a criticism of why the MENA region is democratically torn-apart. I do endorse him claiming that democracy even free and creative thinking don't work out well under tribalism.
The phenomena don't only stop at this brink, it, however, is proven to be a reason of fostering bigotry and fundamentalism. As the individual keeps living in a homogeneous environment mixed up of components must be obligatory fulfilled. In a practical case, when conservatism collides with tribalism, the situation is stifling then, there is no domain for multiculturalism because it might be the social restrictions which the fruits of this phenomena play crucially in cracking down on creative thinking.
To keep off misconception, this lifestyle that encounters a growing resistance especially from the current generation doesn't refer to the fact that there is a police power watching out those who attempt to think differently then chase them down, not at all. However, the problem is, if one decided to find a new way of thinking or living within a tribal conservative realm, he won't be able to move on for a long time, because there is acceptability for wiping stereotypes out. Then, it's better to carry on this kind of living isolated under your roof.
Roughly, Sherman Alxies argued that tribalism is a root-cause of social dilemma that people can't smoothly drift away living on this path,
The phenomena don't only stop at this brink, it, however, is proven to be a reason of fostering bigotry and fundamentalism. As the individual keeps living in a homogeneous environment mixed up of components must be obligatory fulfilled. In a practical case, when conservatism collides with tribalism, the situation is stifling then, there is no domain for multiculturalism because it might be the social restrictions which the fruits of this phenomena play crucially in cracking down on creative thinking.
To keep off misconception, this lifestyle that encounters a growing resistance especially from the current generation doesn't refer to the fact that there is a police power watching out those who attempt to think differently then chase them down, not at all. However, the problem is, if one decided to find a new way of thinking or living within a tribal conservative realm, he won't be able to move on for a long time, because there is acceptability for wiping stereotypes out. Then, it's better to carry on this kind of living isolated under your roof.
Roughly, Sherman Alxies argued that tribalism is a root-cause of social dilemma that people can't smoothly drift away living on this path,
"Well, I think the worst part about tribalism is its tendency to fundamentalize, and if I can fight fundamentalism in any of its forms I'm happy."
I can specifically argue, the bigotry is ascribed to mentality has been entrapped into tribal spots where it has never tried out change. This mentality, however, is attracted to get out of traditionalism in cosmopolitan areas which plays instrumentally in diluting the stringent nature of tribal mentality that finds the new multicolored places as a sanctuary where salvation can embrace new aspirations to get out of the box.
Appearance is indispensable within tribalism, in Saudi Arabia, I don't think that woman after coming back from the U.S.A., can keep unveiled, it would be a big dispute against the tribe she belongs to. So, don't transcend the traditional way of appearing at public places.
If this the landscape in our region, how it's in the West? I think the difference is fanaticism in the West can't run over the entire political landscape because family ties are unleashed so that every individual is linked directly to the authority whose power isn't concentrated on certain groups who in their turn monopolize it in favor of their interests whilst those who belong to underprivileged tribes find themselves marginalized. Consequently, bigotry there can't sweep an entire society.
To recap, I have no disapproval towards what the aforementioned thinkers substantially shaped a perspective towards how threatening tribalism is to the entire and holistic democratic doctrine, that supposedly constitutes our free way of choosing the lifestyle that suits our various orientations away from the hegemony of patriarchal family which's derived from a staunchly dominant tribalism over our willpower.
Therefore, tribalism entraps thinking into a very narrow space where the knowledge we derive managing many aspects of our life from anachronistic values aim frantically at keeping the hegemonic tribal system viable where liberties are in the hands of those who have prestigious postures or the grand leader (Mukhtar) of each tribe who's waiting for a blind obedience from those puppets working under his umbrella. Moreover, females cannot share this position with. It's unreal equality under tribalism harnesses the principle of patriarchism that categorizes society hierarchically into different groups which enhance gender-based discrimination.
It's time to eradicate this tough social fabric, it requires more awareness to be spread among the current generation in order for driving them out of the impact of bigotry of tribalism through encouraging dialogue within the society, convincing those of the last generation who blindly believe that tribalism is the right way of living, it's a harmful thinking must come to an end because this globalized world requires creating an open-minded generation to keep up with the accelerating modernity.
Appearance is indispensable within tribalism, in Saudi Arabia, I don't think that woman after coming back from the U.S.A., can keep unveiled, it would be a big dispute against the tribe she belongs to. So, don't transcend the traditional way of appearing at public places.
If this the landscape in our region, how it's in the West? I think the difference is fanaticism in the West can't run over the entire political landscape because family ties are unleashed so that every individual is linked directly to the authority whose power isn't concentrated on certain groups who in their turn monopolize it in favor of their interests whilst those who belong to underprivileged tribes find themselves marginalized. Consequently, bigotry there can't sweep an entire society.
To recap, I have no disapproval towards what the aforementioned thinkers substantially shaped a perspective towards how threatening tribalism is to the entire and holistic democratic doctrine, that supposedly constitutes our free way of choosing the lifestyle that suits our various orientations away from the hegemony of patriarchal family which's derived from a staunchly dominant tribalism over our willpower.
Therefore, tribalism entraps thinking into a very narrow space where the knowledge we derive managing many aspects of our life from anachronistic values aim frantically at keeping the hegemonic tribal system viable where liberties are in the hands of those who have prestigious postures or the grand leader (Mukhtar) of each tribe who's waiting for a blind obedience from those puppets working under his umbrella. Moreover, females cannot share this position with. It's unreal equality under tribalism harnesses the principle of patriarchism that categorizes society hierarchically into different groups which enhance gender-based discrimination.
It's time to eradicate this tough social fabric, it requires more awareness to be spread among the current generation in order for driving them out of the impact of bigotry of tribalism through encouraging dialogue within the society, convincing those of the last generation who blindly believe that tribalism is the right way of living, it's a harmful thinking must come to an end because this globalized world requires creating an open-minded generation to keep up with the accelerating modernity.
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