The social existence of man is based on the rules checked by years and ancestors. Changes in such statutes are inevitable and cause a number of protests. In modern society, the right to express one's world outlook is open - the norm, the line between preserving cultural values and manifesting a sense of xenophobia is very shaky.
What is xenophobia?
The word xenophobia consists of two parts "xenos" - in Greek means alien, dissenting, and "phobos" - fear. There is such a feeling of unreasonable fear of strangers or unconventional, for a particular person, customs. Xenophobia is a feeling of keen hatred and intolerance towards another's worldview, cultural values, and the expressed contempt of foreign culture-a false sense of patriotism.
What is dangerous xenophobia?
On the social level, the furious rejection of foreign people can be quite aggressive - xenophobia as a threat to security, can serve as a psychological impetus for the emergence of serious disputes. In the history of modern mankind there are facts confirming the emergence of interethnic conflicts with clear signs of xenophobia. The division of society into "one's own" and "outcast" by national or racial difference is unacceptable, but alas such a position exists.
Xenophobia in the modern world
Destruction of cultural monuments and personal insults are the minimum harm from xenophobic attitudes. It is known that xenophobia is an interethnic conflict that arose on the shaky edges of hatred towards other people, wars and genocide, where a person based on national differences easily annihilates another person, coloring his act in a moral tone - depicting the enemy in any person, without a foundation for specific actions.
Religious xenophobia
Phobia in any form - panic fear , it pushes people to mindless and stupid acts, creates a distorted perception of the surrounding world. Scientists express the opinion that in the process of historical relationships - wars, seizures, modifications of cultural values, genetic xenophobia can be formed. Psychologists say that xenophobia is contagious - easily transmitted to others. It is accepted to divide such a state into the most common types of xenophobia:
- racial;
- religious;
- territorial;
- ethnicity;
- household;
- social.
Xenophobia is an unpleasant struggle, if it is expressed in an open form, people or nationalities may suffer. There are also xenophobia, which are rarely manifested:
- Sexism is an intolerant attitude towards the opposite sex.
- Ageism - an abusive response to people on an age basis.
- Handicapism - discrimination of a person by physical abilities - disability.
Xenophobia and racism
The embittered perception of a person by race is called racism. Racial xenophobia is fear and aggression against the individual, moral pressure and insult, humiliation of a person on a national basis, based on the distinctive skin color, religion, cultural values, spoken language. In history, there are examples that divided people into "higher" and "lower" races, where the sign of nationality served as a verdict - a person was destroyed.
Xenophobia and Extremism
The word "extremism" has French roots, in translation it means - extreme, that is, it defines the boundary in ideological judgments and actions. The sense of danger to foreigners is a fictional problem of xenophobia. Social ideology forms in the society the fear of loss of cultural and ethnic values, connecting them with interference of other people's values - nourishes hatred for non-traditional norms of behavior in a given country, a generally accepted worldview.
Xenophobia and chauvinism
Chauvinism is an enthusiastic sense of superiority over other nations, often falsely inspired to justify acts of oppression of other nationalities, an open dislike for various races and peoples. Xenophobic sentiments are supremely called chauvinism, it is the source of radical action, against other nations - an excuse for moral oppression, physical destruction.
Xenophobia and nationalism
Nationalism - love for the motherland, ethnic and cultural values of their ancestors and contemporaries, pride in the achievements of compatriots on a world scale. Distorted or false nationalism - manifestations of xenophobia, rejection of people and moral values manifested in aggressive behavior, actions. A person rejects and neglects another person, even in cases of apparent superiority of the "stranger", ignores his positive qualities, openly degrades his dignity due to his non-belonging to his "own" people.
Nationalism in its true manifestation has no contemptuous attitude towards other peoples, religions. The nationalist's goal is demonstrative love for historical and cultural values, national traditions. International and inter-confessional friendship, for such a person - a way to express and show the dignity of his people and his national attractions.
Tolerance and xenophobia
The term "tolerance" means patience, in comparison with xenophobia, it can be described as an acceptable relation to strangers, a foreign society, unknown cultural and moral values, social norms. Each person has his own border of a tolerant attitude towards a stranger. The personal struggle with xenophobia implies the perception of a dissident not as an enemy, but as an opponent, a representative from another society with common views on the same issues, a distinctive approach to the generally accepted traditional norms.
Xenophobia can provoke a person tolerant of another culture, trying to provoke aggression or disrespect. To set up hostilely all those around him against acts that are unacceptable in his eyes, instill hostile fear in relation to another person. Xenophobes find like-minded people and form groups, they can not argue with a tolerant person with such a crowd.
Xenophobia - how to treat?
The root of the aggressive behavior of xenophobia in society can be hypertrophied nationalism, political affiliation, social inequality. In some cases, the cause of the occurrence is negative memories from the past. Learned in childhood information - communication with others is prohibited - can form a negative attitude toward strangers.
Psychologists recommend to fight xenophobia as a mental disorder , a person must himself realize that his position towards others, unreasonable, it prevents to build relationships and adequately communicate. Psychotherapeutic trainings and explanatory conversations allow getting rid of obsessive fear and hostile prejudices towards strangers.