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Us and Them: Understanding Your Tribal Mind
This groundbreaking and eloquently written book explains how and why people are wedded to the notion that they belong to differing human kindstribe-type categories like races, ethnic groups, nations, religions, castes, street gangs, sports fandom, and high school cliques. Why do we see these divisions? Why do we care about them so much? Why do we kill and die for them? Thi...more
Hardcover, 384 pages
Published
October 24th 2005
by Little, Brown and Company
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"No dog quits her humans because they have converted to Catholicism or put a peace sign on their lawn... only human beings trust symbols to tell who is kin and who is a friend."
In this book, Berreby uses psychology, sociology and neuroscience to explore our need to divide humankind into human-kinds... the Us and Them of the title. He believes this is a basically innate desire, below conscious thought and is related to the brain circuitry involved in learning and following rules. He spends some t...more
In this book, Berreby uses psychology, sociology and neuroscience to explore our need to divide humankind into human-kinds... the Us and Them of the title. He believes this is a basically innate desire, below conscious thought and is related to the brain circuitry involved in learning and following rules. He spends some t...more
This is the human tendency we have to grow beyond.
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Berreby provides a detailed and up-to-date review of the literature that describes our tribal nature in all of its facets. His examples are straightforward and highlight what most can readily understand.
The author's underlying theme is that despite all the problems created by our tribal nature, we can transcend them by choosing for "human kind." The "Us-Them code does not own you; you own it," he writes. "This power to believe in human kinds, and to love or hate them, is part of your human natu...more
The author's underlying theme is that despite all the problems created by our tribal nature, we can transcend them by choosing for "human kind." The "Us-Them code does not own you; you own it," he writes. "This power to believe in human kinds, and to love or hate them, is part of your human natu...more
Remember in-groups and out-groups from social psychology? In this book Berreby discusses the us vs. them mentality in excruciating detail, citing numerous examples and studies that show our tendency, as humans, to be cliquish. I'm taking an evolutionary psychology course at the moment, and it was interesting to see the discussions of xenophobia and kinds come up again. My professor is always saying that we live in a world of strangers; a relatively new cultural phenomenon, because for thousands...more
This is the bravest and most interesting book on anthropology I've read in years. In it, Berreby explores the tendency for human beings to categorize one another in terms of group membership, a trait which was probably essential to our survival as a species throughout most of our history. But in today's polyglot world, this mechanism is necessarily problematic and divisive.
I first read this after the 7/7 bombings in London, and found that Berreby's message was especially timely given that polit...more
I first read this after the 7/7 bombings in London, and found that Berreby's message was especially timely given that polit...more
About our perception of what the author calls 'human kinds' (from racial groups to rival sports fans) -- where it might come from, how it might function, etc.
There's apparently quite a controversy about this. I'm not equipped to make any intelligent judgment about which side is right and wrong, and thus I feel I should mistrust the way this book mostly rings true for me.
The author's view is a fairly optimistic one. It's difficult, or maybe impossible, to prevent people from sorting everyone into...more
There's apparently quite a controversy about this. I'm not equipped to make any intelligent judgment about which side is right and wrong, and thus I feel I should mistrust the way this book mostly rings true for me.
The author's view is a fairly optimistic one. It's difficult, or maybe impossible, to prevent people from sorting everyone into...more
He does a good job of explaining why we think in human kinds and actually offers an interesting counter point to Steven Pinker in the Blank State when he says that prejudices are just good statistics from common people. Nice read.
Jan 11, 2009
Richard
marked it as to-read
Recommended to Richard by:
New York Academy of Science's "Science and the City"
The author was interviewed by the New York Academy of Science's Science and the City program in early 2006. Their website provides a flash video of his presentation, as well as a downloadable podcast and extensive notes and a bibliography.
Us and Them totally blew me a way. This is a fantastic exploration of neuropsychcology, social psych, group dynamics, cognitive psych, motivations, game theory and on and on.
Berreby's book led to a spate of blog posts for me and directly impacted how I work with my clients.
Years of study and work have made me very familiar with the elements of this book, but Us and Them ties them into a neat, readable package.
I've already passed this around the office. My copy is littered with margin notes. All...more
Berreby's book led to a spate of blog posts for me and directly impacted how I work with my clients.
Years of study and work have made me very familiar with the elements of this book, but Us and Them ties them into a neat, readable package.
I've already passed this around the office. My copy is littered with margin notes. All...more
This book provides an excellent interdisciplinary explanation for why people form groups and why those groups tend towards conflict with each other. During the first 95% of the book, I was enthralled. The concluding chapter was underwhelming, lacking a powerful take-home message.
Interesting theories on how and why humans divide into 'tribes' - including but not limited to race, ethnicity, politics, the list goes on and on. The author explains how tribes help us find our place in the world but that they can also be self-limiting and destructive. And, even though we may understand the concept and that placing ourselves in tribes can be a negative thing, it's impossible to stop!
While an intriguing discussion of human behavior in the vein of Gladwell's "The Tipping Point", "Us and Them" could have used more editing to avoid reading like a sometimes disjointed collection of research abstracts stitched together with stock transitions.
Read as part of my Communication Studies course at the University of Oregon, 2010
Saw this at a used bookstore/coffee shop and it looked pretty neat.
I've always wondered who books like this are aimed at.
c.f. SD Purple
Great gift from an intern. At first I thought it was going to be another "it's out biology, so suck it up" tome that I would have oodles of problems with. But aside from some "scientists are the best kind of people" threats early on, I quite liked it. Now I'm just curious what someone who's not, ehm, white might think of it.
I read this book to do a book report on in one of my classes. It was really interesting and makes you really think about how you think.
May 10, 2013
Young
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Apr 28, 2013
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Tierra
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“I'll probably regret saying this, but...for me kin have always been bad news. Warmth and hope came from strangers as they became friends, mentors, allies, etc., while family is the shared trait of those who diminish my happiness and augment my griefs. I know in my bones that blood is not thicker than water.”
—
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