{"id":26056,"date":"2020-02-24T18:45:13","date_gmt":"2020-02-25T02:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=26056"},"modified":"2020-02-25T08:57:03","modified_gmt":"2020-02-25T16:57:03","slug":"on-anthems-protests-and-the-hive-hypothesis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/on-anthems-protests-and-the-hive-hypothesis\/","title":{"rendered":"On Anthems, Protests, and the Hive Hypothesis"},"content":{"rendered":"

On September 5, 1918 in Game 1 of the World Series the Boston Red Socks were playing the Chicago Cubs. Tensions ran high in a nation where 100,000 soldiers already died during the US involvement in WWI. A heaviness was palatable at this lower-than-usual attendance game.<\/p>\n

In an effort to lift the spirits of all present, the US Navy Band played the Star-Spangled Banner, a song that was not yet the US national anthem and was typically reserved for rare occasions. When the song began, Fred Thomas, a Red Socks infielder and Naval sailor, turned toward the American flag and saluted. Players and fans also turned toward the flag, with hands on their hearts, and began singing. When it was complete, the stadium erupted in thunderous applause. Because of the solidifying response, the song was then played at the rest of the 1918 Series games and would soon find its way into National culture as the Anthem in 1931. By the end of WWII, the National Anthem was being played at every NFL game, and eventually made its way into other sporting venues.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

In The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion<\/em>, Jonathan Haidt takes a deep dive into social psychology to examine human tribal tendencies. He notes humans are 90% chimps and 10% bees. To highlight his theory that \u201chuman beings are conditional hive creatures,\u201d[2]<\/a> he tells of how soldiers training for war developed \u201cmuscular bonding (which) enabled people to forget themselves, trust each other, function as a unit, and then crush less cohesive groups.\u201d[3]<\/a> Haidt proposes this transition from individual to unified group is facilitated by the \u201chive switch,\u201d which occurs as a survival mechanism for the group to thrive. This primarily happens through emotive capacities, rather than logical or strategic processes. It is solidified when an everyday experience moves from the profane into the transcendent realm of the sacred, where individuals feel as if they are part of something bigger than themselves. Culturally, we see this hive effect kick in for sporting, political, and musical movements. Haidt also discovered a nation that is full of hives, is a happy nation, as people are able to find like-minded community within a particular hive, be it a school, church, business, etc. Sadly, while unity is found within smaller hives, it does not always translate from hive to hive, or to the general population.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

In our current culture, the effects of this hypothesis are evident, as those who stray from the norm are seen as deviant, or worse almost treasonous, especially in regard to National Anthem decorum. Images of Colin Kaepernick taking a knee or sitting during the National Anthem \u201cbecause of his views on the country\u2019s treatment of racial minorities\u201d abound.[5]<\/a> The outrage from Kaepernick\u2019s actions reverberated throughout the sports world and beyond, causing great divides between individuals typically united by a sport or particular team. It\u2019s interesting that Kaepernick\u2019s actions led to a hive effect, though not due to a proximal, repeated experience like soldiers in training. Unlike the unifying experience of the Anthem being played at the 1918 World Series, players on different teams and from different levels of the sport began to follow suit. Degrading language by the US President led to a wave of solidarity, both for the protesting players and against them. Megan Garber, in her cultural analysis, noted how this wave of solidarity progressed much like a game of football where small incremental movement happens initially, but within a moment, the whole game changes.[6]<\/a> Sadly, it seems in this instance, no team really wins. Particular hives may survive, but few really thrive.<\/p>\n

So how do we bridge the great divide separating various hives? In a TED Talk interview, Haidt notes it takes an awakening of sort, where people realize that living angry and scared is of no benefit for individuals or society. He remarks that it is important to make the effort to meet someone on the other side, initiate a conversation that begins with appreciation of common ground, be willing to listen and learn, and be quick to apologize when needed. He said religious groups usually embody belief systems that position them in such a way as to be bridgebuilders and peacemakers.[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

Jon Huckins, Co-Director of The Global Immersion Project<\/a>, reiterated this stance at a recent conference for peacemakers. He highlighted four core principles everyday peacemakers must take to not only bridge but also mend the divides that separate people and groups. They include:<\/p>\n