Seeing Us in Them: Social Divisions and the Politics of Group Empathy

Cigdem V. Sirin (University of Texas, El Paso),Nicholas A. Valentino (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor),Jose D. Villalobos (University of Texas, El Paso)

Seeing Us in Them: Social Divisions and the Politics of Group Empathy
Format
Hardback
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Country
United Kingdom
Published
18 March 2021
Pages
300
ISBN
9781108495844

Seeing Us in Them: Social Divisions and the Politics of Group Empathy

Cigdem V. Sirin (University of Texas, El Paso),Nicholas A. Valentino (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor),Jose D. Villalobos (University of Texas, El Paso)

What causes some people to stand in solidarity with those from other races, religions, or nationalities, even when that solidarity does not seem to benefit the individual or their group? Seeing Us in Them examines outgroup empathy as a powerful predisposition in politics that pushes individuals to see past social divisions and work together in complex, multicultural societies. It also reveals racial/ethnic intergroup differences in this predisposition, rooted in early patterns of socialization and collective memory. Outgroup empathy explains why African Americans vehemently oppose the border wall and profiling of Arabs, why Latinos are welcoming of Syrian refugees and support humanitarian assistance, why some white Americans march in support of Black Lives Matter through a pandemic, and even why many British citizens oppose Brexit. Outgroup empathy is not naive; rather it is a rational and necessary force that helps build trust and maintain stable democratic norms of compromise and reciprocity.

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