Sociocentrism

Questioning Our Sociocentrism

Living a human life entails membership in a variety of human groups. This typically includes groups such as nation, culture, profession, religion, family, and peer group. We find ourselves participating in groups before we are aware of ourselves as living beings. What is more, every group to which we belong has some social definition of itself and some (usually unspoken) “rules” guiding the behavior of all members. Each group to which we belong imposes some level of conformity on us as a condition of acceptance. This includes a set of beliefs, behaviors, and taboos.

For most people, blind conformity to group restrictions is automatic and unreflective. Most conform without recognizing their conformity. They internalize group norms and beliefs, take on group identities, and act as “expected” — without the least sense that what they are doing might reasonably be questioned. Most people function in social groups unreflectively assuming the rightness of the system of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors to which they conform.

This conformity of thought, emotion, and action is not restricted to the masses, or the lowly, or the poor. It is characteristic of people in general, independent of their role in society, independent of status and prestige, independent of years of schooling. Conformity of thought and behavior is the rule in human life; independence and non-conformity, the rare exception.

Sociocentric thinking, as we intend this expression, is egocentric thinking raised to the level of the group. It is as destructive as egocentric thinking, if not more so, as it carries with it the sanction of a social group. When sociocentric thinking is made explicit in the mind of the thinker, its unreasonableness is generally evident. However, just as individuals deceive themselves through egocentric thinking, groups deceive themselves through sociocentric thinking. Just as egocentric thinking functions to serve one’s selfish interest, sociocentric thinking functions to serve the selfish interests of the group. Just as egocentric thinking operates to validate the uncritical thinking of the individual, sociocentric thinking operates to validate the uncritical thinking of the group.

Questions we can ask to target our sociocentric tendencies:

• What groups do I belong to and how do they influence my behavior when I am with the group? How do these groups influence my behavior when I am away from the group?
• Is it in my best interest to belong to these groups?
• What does this group require of its members (its demands)?
• What behaviors does this group forbid (its taboos)?
• What behaviors are allowed within the group (its range of free decision)?
• What would happen to me if I went against the taboos of the group or culture? Would I be ostracized? Would I be imprisoned? Would I be killed?
• How does my society influence my behavior?
• What is involved in thinking like an American (a German, a Japanese person)?
• Have I ever thought within the perspective of another culture?
• What beliefs and behaviors does my culture punish? Are these forbidden behaviors unethical, or are they culturally relative?
• What would happen to me if I violated any of the taboos of my culture?