What is xenophobia, types, development mechanism, causes and manifestations of fear of strangers, prevention and methods of struggle. The content of the article:
- Description and development
- Varieties
- Causes of occurrence
- Manifestations
-
Ways to fight
- Psychotherapy
- Drug treatment
- Social aspects
Xenophobia is an obsessive fear of strangers. It often turns into bouts of unmotivated rage towards an unknown person. In our time, social phobia is widespread, when one group of people hates another on a national, religious or other basis.
Description and mechanism of development of xenophobia
The fear of strangers has been inherent in the representative of Homo sapiens since primitive times. This factor is not so much biological as social. Since the time when man stood out from the animal world, the struggle for a place "under the sun" began to determine the relationship between people. Primitive tribes were at war for hunting grounds, fertile lands, etc. One cannot write off such a fact as the “abduction” of brides. When people realized that incest leads to the degeneration of the clan, and in ancient society, sexual relations were not limited even with the closest relatives, men began to force women to withdraw from another tribe. And this is hatred and enmity with representatives of another clan-tribe. The biological cause of xenophobia lies in the "failure" of the normal functioning of the gene system. This is already a pathology that requires psychiatric treatment.
Nowadays, all manifestations of xenophobia should be considered in the context of public life, as the relationship between people in society. They are determined by the personal qualities of a person and the ideology that the state preaches. For example, the Republic of South Africa until 1994 was a state where they officially adhered to the ideology of apartheid - the separate coexistence of whites and blacks. Almost the entire white-skinned population of the country suffered from xenophobia. Hatred of the indigenous people (blacks) was enshrined in law, it was planted, starting with the family and school. The fear of strangers (blacks), who have a different language, different faith and their own original culture, has become a state ideology, which is called racism in the world. This is a system of beliefs, when the indigenous population is humiliated in every possible way, is considered mentally and physically disabled. Already today, such an irreconcilable fear of strangers has taken the form of extremism, when one group of people or even an entire state is irreconcilable towards those who profess a different religion or other social views. This became the reason for all sorts of provocations, religious wars and terrorist acts. Unfortunately, our reality today "breathes" with such xenophobia, many countries suffer from it. It's important to know! In itself, fear of strangers is natural, but its social consequences are terrible!
Varieties of fear of strangers
Fear of strangers as a social phenomenon has taken on terrible forms in history. In this regard, one should distinguish between the following types of xenophobia:
- Racism … It is interpreted as the initial inequality of people on a physical and mental basis. Exalts one race over another, when hatred of a person allows the possibility of killing only on the basis that his skin color and views do not meet the interests of any group of people or the state.
- Religious fanaticism … When radical representatives of one religion commit blasphemy up to terrorist attacks against persons of another religion. There are many examples of this in history. In the Middle Ages - the Crusades, religious wars in Europe. For example, St. Bartholomew's Night, when in Paris at least 2,000 thousand Protestants were killed per day. Nowadays, this is the activity of radical Islamist groups that reject Christian values, they are at enmity even with co-religionists because of differences in the dogma of faith. Russia and the United States have a negative attitude towards such Muslim organizations, since they are trying to spread their extremist views in European countries. Everyone has heard of suicide bombings in France, Germany and Russia.
- Chauvinism … Ethnic hatred, when representatives of one nation hate people of another nationality.
- Household xenophobia … Hatred of one person towards another on personal grounds, when it can come to a fight, even with a fatal outcome.
It's important to know! All types of xenophobia are based on misanthropic theories. They breed discord and hatred between people.
The causes of xenophobia
How does xenophobia begin? The reasons for the fear of strangers should be singled out at the personal level and at the social level, when large groups of people or even an entire state are susceptible to such a phobia. Xenophobia at the personal level has a biological basis, and therefore is deeply rooted in the psyche. It is predetermined by the very course of the development of human history. Since primitive times, they have always been afraid of enemies who could covet someone else's "piece of bread and meat." Therefore, people became suspicious of strangers, there could be many crooks among them. With the development of civilization, this fear has become a relic. However, someone had a mental failure, the phobia took on a pathological form. The reason for xenophobia at the psychological level can be:
- The instinct of self-preservation … The main method of self-defense among representatives of the genus "Homo sapiens". It manifests itself as a fear that a stranger might hurt. It helps to protect yourself, your family and loved ones from external threats, for example, an enemy attack. If he begins to predominate in behavior, a person becomes a xenophobe.
- Failure in the formation of the psyche … Abnormalities occurred during intrauterine development of the fetus. The child was born with a morbid psyche, xenophobia is in his blood.
- Serious physical or psychological trauma … Let's say a child is beaten or tried to be beaten by a stranger on the street. The fear of strangers remained for life. Even if the help of strangers is needed, what "boyaguz" will not turn to them.
- Stereotype of thinking … From childhood, the child was taught to be afraid of strangers. Strangers are bad, they always deceive, there is nothing good to expect from them. Therefore, the child is uncommunicative, afraid to go out on the street alone, and does not tolerate other people's views.
The most common causes of fear of strangers are social, when fear of a stranger can develop into aggression towards him. The motives are different. These can be:
- Dislike of people of other nationalities … Everything that is alien causes hatred, especially a person of a different race, and therefore it is necessary to humiliate him in order to "know his place." Can manifest itself as racism. At the state level, this means laws prohibiting "bad" people from enjoying the same privileges in the country as the "right" population. An example is the fate of the Jews in Nazi Germany.
- Religious motive … Religious contradictions are irreconcilable, enmity arises between adherents of different faiths, often ending in bloodshed. Today, religiously-motivated terrorist attacks in the countries of the Middle East are striking evidence of this.
- Economic and social crisis … The fear of strangers largely determines life in society. When people live badly in a country, the crime situation rises. This inevitably affects the relationship. Anger and hatred often manifests itself in bad relationships with each other. For example, people in the line for shortages often fight and even fight.
- Low level of education … The social component here is that a person does not know how to communicate. And therefore he is afraid of someone else, because he will not be able to "talk" to him. Often, this dislike can take the form of aggressive behavior.
- mass media … The media can also cause massive psychosis in front of strangers. For example, these days in the West they are very afraid of immigrants.
It's important to know! Xenophobia due to social causes has brought untold misfortunes to humanity. If a painful psyche has become its source, then the help of a psychologist or psychiatrist is needed, depending on the degree of manifestation of the phobia.
Manifestations of xenophobia in humans
Fear of strangers manifests itself at different levels. We should talk about the personal ("medical") and social manifestations of xenophobia. The former betray the behavior of a xenophobe in everyday life, while the latter characterize the attitude of the masses towards certain groups of people. Let's consider all this in more detail. External manifestations of xenophobia include:
- Isolation … Such a person avoids strangers, does not like to talk with strangers, looks at them suspiciously.
- "Medical" indicators … When forced to communicate with strangers, the xenophobe's pulse quickens, the temperature rises, and there may be diarrhea.
- Change in mental state … The state of health worsens. The reaction can be twofold. If the fear is at the pathological level, panic begins, pallor appears in the face, the person closes in and breaks off communication, tries to quickly leave. When fear has a social background, the personality becomes agitated, the face turns red, speaks harshly and rudely, and the behavior becomes aggressive.
- Loss of self-control … Especially typical for groups of radical youth. Embittered by the negative information they receive from the media, such thugs go out to “protest” actions, for example, against migrants or gays and start riots.
- Constant negative reviews of others … A xenophobe always speaks badly about people, even if the majority have a good opinion of them.
- Bad information … Critical articles in the media, for example, about sectarians, cause a negative attitude towards them.
It's important to know! Xenophobia, with the exception of the pathological form, is treatable.
Ways to Deal with the Fear of Strangers
If the fear of strangers has not gone too far, but is characterized by mild anxiety, you need to contact a psychotherapist, he will help remove all the negative signs of such a condition. And when the fear of people is a pathology, treatment in a hospital is necessary, it is long-lasting and not always effective. In most cases, however, this is a social phenomenon, and in order to get rid of it, completely different approaches are needed. Let's consider all aspects of xenophobia prevention in more detail.
Psychotherapy to get rid of xenophobia
There are many techniques that are quite effective in dealing with phobias. The most effective are hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and gestalt therapy. All of them are aimed at correcting "wrong" thoughts, because it is because of them that there is a problem, the development of new attitudes that will help to perceive life in a completely different light. On this basis, you need to change your behavior, that is, change it to the diametrically opposite, in order to forget your painful fears. The difference in methods is only in theoretical justification: what should be emphasized in treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques are based on the premise that thoughts are the basis of all human behavioral responses. If these "horses" are turned in the right direction, then behavior will change, and this is the key to success in the fight against fear.
Gestalt therapists believe that it is necessary to correct emotions, they influence the perception of reality, the behavior of the individual depends on them. These two techniques have developed specific ways to overcome phobias. Psychologists in psychotherapeutic sessions instill an installation on how to get out of their predicament. For example, patients tell each other their stories, this helps to fight fear according to the well-known principle: "It is easier to beat daddy together." Well, to beat the dad is doubtful, but it is much easier to overcome your problem together.
But hypnosis sessions are for the lazy. They do not need to think about their problems. For such people, a hypnologist is a magician who, with a "magic wand", will induce a hypnotic sleep and miraculously cure xenophobia. It is possible to treat such treatment with a grain of irony, but if it helps a particular person, then to your health!
Drug treatment for xenophobia
Medical methods are necessary only when the fear of a stranger has become a pathology. Let's say a person is so afraid of communicating with strangers that he does not leave the house, does not answer phone calls, does not turn on the TV. A psychiatric hospital is already needed here. The course of treatment with neuroleptics, tranquilizers, antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs will take a long period. After discharge from the hospital, it is necessary to take supportive medications at home. And it is not at all a fact that a lasting recovery will come. Usually such patients need isolation again after a while.
Social aspects of xenophobia prevention
In our time, xenophobia has acquired a threatening character. This is due to the negative processes taking place in the world. Tension in relations between people of different religions, different cultures, completely different views on life is growing. Europe was flooded with an influx of immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa. There is a war, people are being killed, often for religious reasons. The attitude of Europeans towards immigrants from these countries is far from rosy. The refugees are partly to blame, and in many ways the negative feelings towards them are inflated by politicians and the media. Living in our world has become anxious. People began to fear and became suspicious. Xenophobia has gripped wide sections of the population in Western countries. There, racist and chauvinist ideas found fertile ground.
To a certain extent, this fear affected some post-Soviet countries. Although the reason is quite different, the difficult economic situation has led to the impoverishment of the masses. And poor people are aggressive by nature. This is evidenced by the entire history of revolutions, for example, in Russia. There are also quite a few guest workers in Russia from the former Soviet republics, in particular from Ukraine and Central Asia. Often, they are associated with reports of criminal chronicles. All this affects the negative perception of foreigners. But not all of them are like that, most of them are quite good, worthy people.
So what is necessary so that the fear of strangers does not completely break the trusting relationship between peoples? Here, medicine is no longer an advisor. The best prevention of xenophobia, when one nation begins to fear another, is tolerance.
For relations between peoples to be friendly, it is necessary:
- Raise youth in the spirit of humanistic traditions … "Man to man is a friend, comrade and brother." This is not an abstract slogan of the times of building communism in a single country, but the principle of a true tolerant attitude towards each other.
- Study the culture of the peoples of the world … Only an acquaintance with the cultural traditions of other nations will help to understand that you need to perceive the world in a variety of all colors and colors.
- To cultivate tolerance in people … Only respect for the religion of other nations will help establish true friendship between people, remove all barriers of suspicion and enmity.
- Combating manifestations of racism and chauvinism in society … There are no bad peoples in terms of skin color and "backward" mind. There are harmful misanthropic theories that humiliate entire nations. For some, this is beneficial only because it allows such allegedly "underdeveloped" people to be exploited, to grow fat by plundering the natural resources of their countries.
Finally, here are some helpful tips to help you get rid of your fear of strangers. You need to read more, for example, foreign literature, travel to other countries, watch educational programs on TV. If possible, travel! This is the best way to get to know other peoples, make new acquaintances, get acquainted with a different culture. It's important to know! You can't take everything for granted. Only a critical attitude to everything that the newspapers write and show on television will help you not to get lost in the flow of often false information and always have your own sound judgment. How to get rid of xenophobia - watch the video:
Xenophobia gives a lot of unpleasant sensations to the one whom it possesses. But it is quite possible to get rid of it, you just have to wish it, and not go with the flow of your phobic thoughts. If the fear of strangers has social roots, it must be resolutely rooted out. All people are equal and must be treated with due respect. And there are bad ones in every society. But they are not an indicator of the healthy spirit of the nation. Only friendship between peoples will help make life on our planet Earth peaceful and happy.
