ABSTRACT
Tribalism is among the most ancient formulations of culture study. Most definitions of tribalism emphasize the aspect of group loyalty. Nor should religious tribalism be limited to Asian and African environments; the term tribalism has emerged as a descriptor of the mix of religious and political value contradictions characterizing current American politics. Most recently, the idea of tribalism as socially divisive has been challenged: tribalism may be evidence for group identity and cohesiveness within a cooperative whole. Tribalism offers a naturally contentious area for interaction. While classic demonstrations of group conformity (e.g., Asch) could be done as an introduction to some of the basic psychological processes involved in group cohesion, they would probably not capture the distinguishing features of tribal behavior. In the US sociopolitical context, Hawkins, Yudkin, Juan-Torres, and Dixon offer an intuitive seven-category description of US political tribalism as a springboard for conceptualizing cultural differences.
