Expanding the In-Group

A consistent undercurrent in my previous blog posts has been the in-group/out-group bias. In a recent discussion with my professor Justin Carre it was brought to my attention that the bias occurs on a very micro level. Genetic differences such as skin colour and facial structure both have an impact on trait identification. For the most part, however, these inherent biases do not inhibit the structural integrity of North American society. It is when these thoughts are extracted to a social level, and social structures are formed around these biases, that conflict and violence are made possible. In other words, while skin colour effects the speed of trait identification in studies, it is not until groups become segregated based on skin colour that the chance of violence occurring increases. The practical application of this is that, while inherent biases may continue to exist, rates of group conflicts can be theoretically decreased by manipulating the social framework of in-groups and out-groups. Smaller group divisions can be overshadowed by providing an umbrella of universal similarities among them.