The arts are key to enabling different ethnic groups to empathise with one another, especially in these difficult times
It goes without saying that 2020 has been an enigma to many. We’ve all heard the word “unprecedented” many times and perhaps we even let ourselves indulge in the fantasy that when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the unpredictable nature of this somewhat dystopian year will be over and 2021 will bring us a more familiar sense of stability, certainty and normality. As the year is drawing to a close and we adjust to the slower pace of lockdown 2.0, I have been using this as an opportunity to reflect on the ebbs and flows of political, social, economic and health crises that have occurred. Within all of this, something that has continually stood out to me is that despite us all being affected by everything that has been happening, our society seems to be extremely divided on so many pertinent issues.
I believe that in part this is associated with psychological processes, where one’s political affiliation has influenced one’s beliefs about social policies and race relations beyond rationality. The concept of groupthink, first studied by psychologist Irving Janis in 1972, describes the psychological process whereby an individual conforms to a consensus while forgoing their personal beliefs. This strengthens our alignment with other people we share ideas and goals with, but it can have the harmful effects of warping our own perspectives to prioritise our own group regardless of the cost to the outsiders and, perhaps on an unconscious level, to ourselves.
