Xenophobia

In the modern world, the diversity of cultures on this planet becomes more evident when seen in the process of globalization. Both internal and external conflict during this process is certain, whereby overt and covert actions threaten a population's autonomy, sovereignty, and nationalistic state. The resulting psychological state becomes that of xenophobia. Xenophobia is the psychological reaction of an individual who has a fear or contempt response to anything that is culturally foreign. This reaction can manifest itself from extreme isolationism to extreme aggression. When viewing the process of globalization and multiculturalism in an evolutionary framework, the resulting xenophobia may be viewed as a natural response to cultural incursion. Preservation, as will be seen, is a result of acute perception and successful behavioral adaptation.

Although some psychologists and philosophers, including natural theologians, would be reluctant to admit the pivotal role that biology has on human behavior, the unfolding potentiality of the DNA results in the adaptive behavioral response on both an individual and social level. When viewing an individual as evolutionary chance, the adaptive behavioral responses can be understood in terms of an Evolutionary Stable Strategy. Any behavior that would tend to increase the chance to reproduce successfully would be opted. When expanded to the level of a population, individual cost–benefit analysis would dictate behavioral action. Although similarities in phenotypic expressions (for example, genetic distance) would be a strong motivating factor for group behavior, reciprocal altruism seen at large-scale populations would be influenced by cultural factors that extend beyond close kin-based social systems. Xenophobia becomes an actuality of these intense egoistic tendencies transferred into a population.

Understanding the cultural expressions for this psychological phenomenon is the key for behavioral modification. Although complete modification sought by proponents of multiculturalism can distract from the main issues, the significance of cultural determinates for the individual becomes an integral part of shared group cognition. Although the cultural history of our species can be seen in the archaeological record, these remnants can be seen as a physical representation of active memes. In short, memes are bits of cultural information that are transmitted from individual to individual. These memes take the form of ideas, languages, and their physical extensions. Through the process of imitation, memes have modified the way by which our species exist. Modifications from these memes, which has resulted in genetic variation, gave rise to opportunity for our species to populate the globe. Within historical time, small remote populations of our hominid ancestors would eventually give way to civilization and the development of the state.

With the advent of civilization, our species probably experienced the greatest qualitative and quantitative degree of the xenophobic phenomenon. Although nomadic populations would experience a small degree of xenophobia (for example, in justification of territorial disputes),civilization constructively used the phenomenon as an internal control. Building upon natural tendencies found within our species, each population's values, expressed in folk, moray, laws, and mythology, creates the deep-seated feeling of nationalism. Nationalism does not only act as a cohesive force, but the guiding level by which the xenophobia is allowed to express itself, defining citizenship and civic duty.

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