‘Scorn for Tribalism Is an American Tradition’
Let’s take another whack at whether the right word to describe the tribal divisions now on display in Congress is in fact tribalism, or whether some other term would do better. The first entry in this series was here, with follow-ups here and here. This next set of entries makes the fourth in the series:
Tribalism is ok. From a reader with advanced degrees in linguistics, who grew up in the United States but has lived and worked for decades in Africa and in Europe:
Tribalism sounds just fine to me, having been in Africa and hearing “tribe” all the time. They always ask each other, and even us “Europeans,” what tribe we belong to, as if asking where are you from or what’s your job. I think tribe means “affinity group” for me now, and it certainly would pertain to political parties. Sort of like a club or group.
The lady who wrote about being offended should just come to realize that there is more than one sense to the word now. It has acquired another broader meaning.
Wolf-pack. From another reader who was raised in the United States but has lived in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East for many decades:
I vote for “Wolf-Pack.” Having a dog over the years and seeing how sensitive our dog is to always look to our lead and stay near us and do go where we are going, she is clearly a wolf following the Alpha Wolves.
"Tribes" is not only a word associated with Native Americans. I think of "Tribes" more in the African sense.
How about parallels to rabid sports fans, especially soccer crowds?
Read more from The Atlantic:
This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
