Siege mentality
In sociology, siege mentality is a shared feeling of victimization and defensiveness—a term derived from the actual experience of military defences of real sieges. It is a collective state of mind in which a group of people believe themselves constantly attacked, oppressed, or isolated in the face of the negative intentions of the rest of the world. Although a group phenomenon, the term describes both the emotions and thoughts of the group as a whole, and as individuals.
The result is a state of being overly fearful of surrounding peoples, and an intractably defensive attitude.
The related term bunker mentality may be used in the context of businesses facing competition or downsizing, with a similar paradigm applying to some religious groups.
Characteristics
Among the consequences of a siege mentality are black and white thinking, social conformity, and lack of trust, but also a preparedness for the worst and a strong sense of social cohesion.Examples
Historically, siege mentalities existed in the Soviet Union, Communist People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Rhodesia, Apartheid South Africa, and Northern Ireland during The Troubles, as a result of ideological or political isolation.In the present day, siege mentalities have also been described with regards to countries such as Israel and North Korea; in the latter it is arguably encouraged by the government to help justify their continuance in power. Further contemporary examples of states in which a siege mentality is prevalent may include Russia under Vladimir Putin Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Republic of China Venezuela under the Bolivarian leaders Chavez & Maduro and, Iran, Cuba since Communist rule and India under the Narendra Modi led BJP government.
Within the United States, the siege mentality has been used to describe conservative Southerners following the American Civil War, and later on the Southern Strategy and supporters of Donald Trump, especially towards the federal government. The politics of U.S. Evangelicalism in [the United States|Evangelicals] in particular were cited by the New York Times in 2017 as reflecting a siege mentality. Some police departments have also been noted to adopt a siege mentality, with officers viewing themselves as under attack by their own communities.
Sociologically, the term may refer to persecution feelings by anyone in a group that views itself as a threatened minority, as with the early psychoanalysts. This can be used for example in the field of sports, where coaches or managers often create a siege mentality in their players by highlighting an environment of hostility from outside the club.
Siege mentalities are particularly common in business, the result of competition or downsizing, though here the alternative of "bunker mentality" may be used. Some religious groups may have this paradigm, particularly if they are not traditional mainstream groups.