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Getting Command of Our Sociocentric Nature. Our purpose:. To better understand our sociocentric nature. To begin to see its pervasiveness in human life. To consider some of the important implications of this human tendency. Key Questions . What is sociocentricity?
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Our purpose: • To better understand our sociocentric nature. • To begin to see its pervasiveness in human life. • To consider some of the important implications of this human tendency.
Key Questions • What is sociocentricity? • What is its relationship with egocentricity? • How does sociocentric thought impede human rationality and keep us from developing as reasonable persons? • How can we begin to emancipate our minds from sociocentric forces and live as persons of free will?
Sociocentric thought is the native human tendency to see the world from a narrow and biased group-centered perspective, to operate within the world through subjective and partial group beliefs, group influences, group rules, group think, group interests.
Though the mind is by nature egocentric and sociocentric, it also has the capacity to reason rationally and reasonably. To develop as rational persons, we must take command of our native egocentric and sociocentric nature.
Beginning at a very young age humans begin to internalize the mores and folkways of the groups to which they belong. They begin “fitting in” to groups, from no choice of their own, but out of instinct and in order to survive. Due to an innate need to be accepted and esteemed by others, to be validated, humans operate largely as members of various groups through the whole of their lives.
At the same time, humans do not naturally develop skills of group critique – the ability to determine group practices that make sense to accept, those that need modification, and those that should be wholeheartedly rejected. Due to the credulity of the uncultivated mind, from a very young age, humans largely uncritically accept the beliefs of family, school, religion, peers, government, clubs and organizations, indeed any group in which they become members.
And then they largely defend and build on those views they have uncritically accepted. Most of these group-held beliefs lie at the unconscious level of thought, not explicitly recognized by the mind, nevertheless guiding much of our behavior.
Native sociocentric thought is at the root of many human problems and countless injustices. Only when each of us takes command of this hidden part of our nature, can we begin to extricate ourselves from dogmatic and dangerous group ideologies, from group rules, taboos and conventions arbitrarily formed and strictly imposed, from unwarranted group righteousness that leads to untold pain and suffering, from group agendas and actions that undermine the cultivation of critical societies.
Sociocentric Thinking is Linked with Egocentric Thinking Consider these definitions: • Human egocentrism, the natural human tendency “to view everything within the world in relationship to oneself, to be self-centered” (Webster’s New World Dictionary); and • Human sociocentrism, most simply conceptualized as group egocentricity. To define sociocentricity, we might take Webster’s definition of egocentricity (above), substituting group for self. Thus, sociocentric thinking is the natural human tendency to view everything within the world in relationship to one’s group, to be group-centered.
Understand the Relationship Between Egocentric and Sociocentric Standards • Work in pairs • Silently read pp. 238 -239. • Then discuss with your partner the relationships between egocentric and sociocentric standards as articulated on those pages. • Then identify examples of the sociocentric standards.
Identifying Some of Your Sociocentric Beliefs… p.238 Identify at least one belief your “group” holds in each of the categories. • “It’s true because we believe it.”_______________ ___________________________________________ • “It’s true because we want to believe it.”_________ ___________________________________________ • “It’s true because it is in our vested interest to believe it.”________________________________ • “It’s true because we have always believed it. _________________________________________
The Nature of Sociocentrism • Working in groups of three. • Read and process pp. 240-241. (up to the think for yourself activity). • Use this format: Silently read each paragraph/section. After reading, discuss in your group the meaning of what you have read, and see if you can think of examples of the main point(s).
Thinking About the Groups You Belong to • Working alone, complete the activity on p. 241 in writing. • Then share with your group and discuss.
Working in pairs. • Silently read and discuss pp. 241 down to the Unesco example, p. 242. • Then role play the Unesco example pp. 242-243. (one person is the interviewer, the other is the child for each section) • Discuss the implications of this study.
Social Stratification as an Implication of Sociocentrism • Silently read the section on social stratification – pp. 243-244. • Discuss with your partner. • Together do the Think for Yourself activity – pp. 244
There are two distinct logics of sociocentric thinking, both of which are destructive:
The logic of group interest, of getting the most for the group without regard to the rights and needs of others, of protecting its biased interests, forwarding its partial agendas. This logic informs the point of view from which everyone outside the group is seen and understood and by which everything that happens outside of the group is judged. This leads to the problem of in-group thinking and behavior - everyone outside the group is judged according to the standards of the group; everyone in the group is privileged, everyone outside the group is seen as a potential threat.
The logic of group conformity - defines the intricate inner workings of the group, ensures that everyone coexists in the group in accordance with its customs, conventions, rules, taboos, morays, laws.
It is important to understand the barriers to ethical reasoning caused by sociocentric thought
Groups of 3 • Ethical Reasoning Guide, pp. 9-14 • Silently read each section. • Then discuss your understanding of each section. • As you work through each section, make a list of beliefs in that “domain” that are considered unethical but are not. • Then list beliefs or acts within the domain that are unethical (but considered ethical)
