Tribalism is a key evolutionary feature of humans, and the recent growth in tribal polarisation presents a serious challenge to our highly individualistic civilisation. This fascinating book examines the psychological origins and consequences of tribalism both in our private and in our public lives.
The chapters explore how social, evolutionary, biological, and cognitive factors shape our tribal habits, featuring contributions from eminent international researchers. The chapters review the nature and origins of tribalism, the psychological mechanisms promoting tribalism, how tribal narratives can distort rationality and perceptions of reality, and the role of tribalism in politics and public affairs. The contributions investigate how insecurity, the search for meaning and attachment, victimhood, grievance, and cognitive shortcomings can facilitate tribal bonding and how such groups once formed can foster conflict, hatred, and irrational behaviours. The book suggests that the survival of our extremely successful civilisation based on the enlightenment values of liberty and individualism may well depend on our ability to understand and manage the human evolutionary propensity for tribalism.
The book will be of great interest to students and researchers in psychology, sociology, and other disciplines of behavioural and social sciences, as well as all readers who seek to understand one of the most intriguing issues that shape human social life.
01. The Tribal Mind and the Psychology of Collective Delusions Part One: The Nature and Origins of Tribalism 02. An Attachment Perspective on the Tribal Mind: Secure and Insecure Forms of Tribalism 03. A Terror Management Theory Perspective on Tribalism 04. Inductive Reasoning can Facilitate Tribalism 05. The Birthing, Nurturing, and Evolution of Dystopian Groups Part Two: Psychological Mechanisms of Tribalism 06. Tribes of Victims: How Feelings of Victimhood Drive Moral Conflict 07. Bright sides of tribal exaggeration: Collective narcissism and tribal attitudes towards equality 08. Protecting the Tribe from Dominant Leaders 09. Political tribalism, polarization, and the motivated rejection of science Part Three: How Tribal Narratives Dominate Rationality and Reality 10. Psychology of Tribal Narratives 11. Tribalism in Scientific Practice: On the Failure to Erase Collective Misbeliefs in Science 12. The New Book Burners: Academic Tribalism 13. The power of tribal narratives: Understanding the psychological appeal of Marxism Part Four: The Role of Tribalism in Politics and Public Life 14. Tribal Hostility in Political Conflict 15. Use It and Lose It: Exerting Scientific Authority for Political Ends Undermines Scientific Authority 16. Burying the Hatchet: Tribalism is Essential to Peacemaking 17. Is Political Identification a Key for Political Animosity?
Joseph P. Forgas is Scientia Professor of Psychology at the University of New South Wales, Australia. He received his DPhil and DSc from the University of Oxford, and his research focuses on affective influences on social cognition and behaviour. He has published more than 30 books and 300 papers, and for his work, he received the Order of Australia and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, as well as a number of academic fellowships and honours.
