Gregory - Fuller

The “Us-Group” versus the “Out-Group”

Languages have references to “us-groups” and kinships, as Gregory illustrated with his example of words for brotherhood in Hindi. This is similarly seen in Japanese, where “us-groups” and “out-groups” dynamically change depending on the situation – who one is talking to, in reference to what, and the conversers’ relationship hierarchically to the listener and to the subject being discussed. In this respect, the idea of a household as an “us-group,” lends a sense of strength/security that alliances and numbers provide. Financially more stable (keeping the rich wealthy, for example), kinship ties and household are not merely social organizations but also important economic ones in many societies in which business, financial, and social ties can be inherited and passed around. In such household groups where finances come into play, divisions are created between different “us-groups,” as, like Gregory noted for example, the richer get richer and the poorer, poorer (Gregory 148). How generalized is the “us-group,” and how far does it extend in terms of families and households? Is it a concept that can be applied universally, or is it society specific?