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The global ecology of differentiation between us and them

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  • Evert Van de Vliert

    (University of Groningen)

Abstract

Humans distinguish between we-groups and they-groups, such as relatives versus strangers and higher-ups versus lower-downs, thereby creating crucial preconditions for favouring their own groups while discriminating against others. Reported here is the finding that the extent of differentiation between us and them varies along latitude rather than longitude. In geographically isolated preindustrial societies, intergroup differentiation already peaked at the equator and tapered off towards the poles, while being negligibly related to longitude (observation study 1). Contemporary societies have evolved even stronger latitudinal gradients of intergroup differentiation (survey study 2 around 1970) and discrimination (mixed-method study 3 around 2010). The geography of contemporary differentiation and discrimination can be partially predicted by tropical climate stress (warm winters, hot summers and irregular rainfall), largely mediated by the interplay of pathogen stress and agricultural subsistence (explanatory study 4). The findings accumulate into an index of intergroup discrimination by inhabitants of 222 countries (integrative study 5).

Suggested Citation

  • Evert Van de Vliert, 2020. "The global ecology of differentiation between us and them," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(3), pages 270-278, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:4:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1038_s41562-019-0783-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-019-0783-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Hamid MIRZAHOSSEIN & Seyyed Ali Alamdar MOHGHADDAM, 2021. "Increasing Citizen’S Livability In The Future City: Responsive City, A Remarkable Solution," Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 16(3), pages 23-41, August.
    2. Mimi E. Lam, 2021. "United by the global COVID-19 pandemic: divided by our values and viral identities," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-6, December.
    3. Minkov, Michael & Kaasa, Anneli, 2022. "Do dimensions of culture exist objectively? A validation of the revised Minkov-Hofstede model of culture with World Values Survey items and scores for 102 countries," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(4).

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