What is tribalism? Analyzing this social phenomenon

This collective dynamic leads to a sense of belonging and the defense of common habits.

Since the beginning of mankind, people have developed around the establishment of groupings and societies. The reason for this is that human nature includes the need to relate to others whom we consider equal, as well as the need to feel that we belong to a group that loves us.

On some of these premises is based the perspective of tribalism, a concept that has been studied over the years.The concept of tribalism, a concept that has been studied throughout the history of humanity and that, although it is not so common in today's Western cultures, there are still remnants of tribalism in them.

What is tribalism?

Tribalism is a concept from the field of anthropology that refers to a cultural phenomenon by which individuals create groups or organizations of a social nature with which to identify and assert themselves as part of something larger. and assert themselves as part of something larger.

Because it is a cultural phenomenon, tribalism tends to spread to practically all areas of a person's life, exerting a bidirectional influence. That is to say, the person tries to leave a trace of his or her passage through the organization and, in turn, the organization itself exerts an influence on the individual, the organization itself exerts an influence on the individual..

In some cases, this influence may extend to a large number of aspects of the individual's life. Such as changes in patterns of behavior, political, religious or moral thinking, as well as influence on customs, fashions or the way of using language..

Two related definitions

This concept encompasses two distinct but closely related definitions. On the one hand, we can understand tribalism as a social system by which humanity is divided into differentiated organizations or groups known as tribes.

Today, the term tribe is attributed to those groups of people who share a series of common interests, habits, practices, traditions or a common ethnic origin. common interests, habits, practices, traditions or a common ethnic origin.. Throughout the world, there are an infinite number of such groupings, all with distinctive traits and qualities.

The second meaning of the term tribalism is that which refers to a strong sense of cultural or ethnic identity. cultural or ethnic identity. This feeling makes the person define and differentiate him/herself from another member of a different tribe. In addition, it also includes the feelings that the person has towards his own group, as well as the satisfaction or pride of being in it.

It is very important to understand the differences between these two meanings of tribalism since, although tribal societies are hardly developed in the West, tribalism understood as the creation of groups of people with common tastes is fully extended.

Tribalism vs. individualism

In contrast to the idea of tribalism we find individualism. These two anthropological perspectives are completely antagonistic.although both seek to understand the individual and modern societies.

In contrast to tribalism, individualism is committed to the independence and self-sufficiency of each and every person. The followers of this perspective encourage the realization of one's own goals and desires in isolation, based solely on personal choices and without any external influence or intervention.

Since it also forms a way of understanding society, individualism also implies a way of understanding society as a whole, politics, morality or ideology, establishing the individual as the center of all of them.

Its main antagonistic perspectives are tribalism and collectivism, both of which advocate a unity of the individual as the center of society.both of which advocate a unity or association of people to achieve common ends. Although it is true that human beings have traditionally been considered as gregarious animals, that is to say, they live and develop in community. There is an extensive debate in the world of sociology and anthropology about which of the positions is more developed at present.

While some experts some experts argue that people are tending more and more towards deindividualization and group or collective life, they also specify that these new forms of tribalism differ greatly from the traditional ones and that they are developing with the passing of time and the transformation of societies.

On the other hand, those who maintain that individualism is currently becoming more and more widespread in developed countries, argue that people and groups tend to individualization and isolation, as well as a decrease in the feeling of belonging.and isolation, as well as a decrease in the feeling of collectivity or the achievement of common goals.

In the latter case, part of the anthropological community is of the opinion that the individualistic tendency we are currently experiencing is in line with the development of narcissistic tendencies that seem to be on the rise today.

These narcissistic tendencies, which promote individualism, are characterized by the following patterns are characterized by the following patterns or elements:

• Abandonment of the feeling of historical continuity and of belonging to a global project.
• Dominant tendency to live for the moment and to live only for oneself, not for others or for the future.
• Propensity to introspection and self-knowledge.

The emergence of urban tribes

The genesis and development of urban tribes is explicable within the theoretical framework that explains tribalism. The most common definition of urban tribe is that which defines it as a grouping of people, usually of adolescent ages, who follow common trends and practices or customs and who make themselves visible through a uniformity in the way they behave. through a uniformity of dress and expression..

Urban tribes are the ultimate expression of today's tribalism. These groupings of people create their own vision and image of the world around them, new ways of interacting with the environment and different ways of expressing themselves not only through language, but also through dress codes, symbols, music, literature or art..

The fact of belonging to an urban tribe gives a person the possibility of building an identity and developing a sense of belonging to an affinity group. In addition, they are used as a means to distance oneself from the socially established, to distance oneself from institutions and to generate new societies or collectivities.