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Palgrave Macmillan
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Tribalism

The Evolutionary Origins of Fear Politics

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  • © 2018

Overview

  • Places the concept of “tribal politics” within the context of Trump’s rise, the 2016 Election, and growing polarization in American politics

  • Provides an empirical and evolutionary basis for the prevalence of tribal politics and the politics of fear, distinct from most books on the topic that employ a historical or political approach

  • Is of interest to students and scholars in sociology, psychology, and political science, as well as those in “harder sciences” and public policy

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

Keywords

About this book

Unearthing the most primal motivations behind the fear politics movements sweeping across the USA, Europe, and the Middle East, Stevan E. Hobfoll examines how  the increasing sense of threat from the political and cultural “other” or “outsider” engenders an evolutionary, built-in “defend and aggress” response. This deep-wired evolutionary response is a defining aspect of our tribal origins and has allowed for the rise of propaganda, extremist politics, and—in turn—violence. In this timely work, which binds theories in psychology, sociology, evolution, biology, linguistics, iconography, rhetoric, and religion, Hobfoll explores the tribalist roots of radical militant Islam, violence against women, white supremacy, the rise of authoritarian leaders, and an increasingly polarized and uncompromising political landscape. Grounded in evolutionary psychological research, Hobfoll’s long term study of stress,  and in conversation with contemporary academic literature, Tribalism not only offers an explanation for society’s worst impulses, but also points us towards the best protections against tribalism and other evolutionary traps.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Behaviorial Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Stevan E. Hobfoll

About the author

Stevan E. Hobfoll is the Judd and Marjorie Weinberg Presidential Professor and Chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center, USA. He is a former Senior Fellow of the Center for National Security Studies at the University of Haifa, Israel. He has authored and edited twelve books, including Traumatic StressThe Ecology of Stress, and Stress, Culture, and Community.


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