What is xenophobia? How to get rid of fear

Xenophobia has accompanied humanity throughout history, but today this topic is more relevant than ever. People have become much more mobile, and the days when a family lived in the same house for many generations are long gone. It is normal for a representative of modern youth to be born and grow up in one city, find a partner in another, and raise children in a third. And the distance between these cities is often measured in hundreds of kilometers. It would seem that this is the time of real freedom! But the situation is overshadowed by the worsening problem of xenophobia.

People tend to be wary of those they consider strangers. But sometimes fears develop into expressed hostility and even aggression. Today we will understand what xenophobia is, why it arises and how to deal with it. Let’s immediately make a reservation that a wary attitude towards everything foreign is a completely normal phenomenon, inherent in our nature since prehistoric times. But we live in a modern civilized society, which means that not all natural instincts are appropriate today.

Possible reasons

One of the reasons for the development of xenophobia is the experience of violence from a stranger.
First of all, we will consider the factors that at the psychological level cause the development of xenophobia.

1. Deviation in the formation of the psyche, which can be observed during prenatal development.
2. Incorrect parenting. From childhood, a child is taught that it is necessary to be wary of strangers, that they will definitely deceive or cause pain.
3. The instinct of self-preservation. A person experiences fear of strangers because there is a possibility of causing him pain.
4. Serious psychological or physical trauma, personal experience. The xenophobe had previously been mutilated by a stranger.

The most common reasons for fear of strangers are social. In such a situation, fear of a stranger can develop into aggressive behavior directed at him. At the same time, there may be various motives for hostility towards people of a different nationality, appearance, which may manifest themselves as a desire to humiliate another person. If we consider the state level, then we are talking about laws that restrict people of a different race.

1. Religious motive. Sometimes disagreements between adherents of different faiths end in hostility, which sometimes leads to bloodshed. For example, terrorist attacks in the Middle East based on religious grounds.
2. Social and economic crisis. If there is a high crime situation in a country or in a particular city, then hatred and anger towards each other arises in society. For example, when some scarce product appears in a store, people try to get it by all means, swear at the same time, and may even start fighting with their rivals.
3. Low level of education. A situation where a person is simply unable to communicate normally with other people, he is afraid that he will not be able to find common topics for conversation with a stranger.
4. The media can also influence the development of fear. For example, the situation with the attitude towards migrants in the West.

You should know that xenophobia, which developed for social reasons, has already brought many troubles to humanity. If a phobia has developed due to the presence of a painful psyche, one cannot do without the help of a psychologist, and sometimes a psychiatrist, if there is a serious degree of manifestation of the pathological condition.

Symptoms of xenophobia

When a person is exposed to a trigger, which in the case of xenophobia could be a stranger or foreigner, he or she will show anxiety and fear in different ways. Physiologically, one or more of the following symptoms may occur:

• Increased heart rate
• Dizziness and trembling
• Shortness of breath or rapid breathing
• Nausea
• Fear of death
• Feeling of unreality or that he/she is "going away"
• Morbid preoccupation with a feared object

Other symptoms more related to anxiety include:

• Headache
• Muscle pain, tension and tightness in the neck and shoulders
• Chest pain
• Sleep disorders
• Ringing or throbbing in the ears
• Excessive sweating
• Very cold or very hot
• Numbness or tingling in some parts of the body

Sometimes these symptoms can develop into a full-blown anxiety attack, which is a serious reaction. Due to the severity of these symptoms, the affected person may isolate themselves and avoid social contact. This can cause serious difficulties in functioning normally and maintaining normal relationships. Interestingly, although women are statistically more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders, xenophobia is considered more common among men.

In extreme and rare cases of xenophobia, a person may become morbidly concerned with strangers or foreigners and may even harm them.

Origins of xenophobia

All people of the 21st century, advanced users of the World Wide Web and all sorts of nano-techno-gadgets, have preserved built-in biological mechanisms - a kind of software from the Stone Age.

At the dawn of human history, everything incomprehensible, different from the usual, caused fear, drawing the image of Babayka in the imagination. And much was incomprehensible to the caveman, so fears and hostility multiplied and were deposited at the level of instincts.

The appearance of strangers was especially frightening. It threatened the established way of life and meant a battle for territory or resources, similar to the one that took place on the Nostromo ship in the film Alien.

Even peace-loving strangers could bring with them microorganisms that were detrimental to the health of the natives (due to the lack of antibodies to them). They had to share sources of food with them - already meager. By introducing themselves into society, uninvited guests brought changes with them and knocked them out of their comfort zone.

One of the modern causes of xenophobia is globalization (the process of universal unification and integration). It gives rise to the fear of losing national and cultural identity and forces people to build a wall between their own and others.

Causes of xenophobia

What does xenophobia mean? Fear and hostility can be caused by personal experience, trauma after meeting a person of a different nationality, for example, the individual was attacked or became a participant in a terrorist attack. Or this may be a consequence of impressionability (a person was impressed after reading articles about genocide).

What else relates to the causes of phobia:

• inheritance of parents' beliefs;
• fear of losing social identity;
• lack of education causing fear of the unknown;
• socio-political, economic instability of society;
• feeling of insecurity;
• influence of society, media;
• historical factors;
• information war.

There is a biological theory according to which xenophobia is a tool of adaptation and survival. It helps preserve the species, pass on genes, and preserve the health of the nation. It is common for animals of one species to show aggression towards another species and even towards close subspecies. And since a person is a socio-biological being, a similar mechanism can also be present in us and take more sophisticated forms, for example, expressed in hostility towards people with a different appearance, culture, traditions, standard of living, health status, etc.

Story

Global mass phobias based on xenophobia arise in the modern era. The “great xenophobias” were formed in Europe, but took on a global character and spread not only to the countries of the “European world.” By the beginning of the 20th century, the “great xenophobia” included the concepts of the “world Jewish conspiracy” and the “yellow peril.” Moreover, these two phobias could merge into one world conspiracy theory. Thus, the far-right Russian politician Vladimir Purishkevich stated that Jews are deliberately sabotaging the fight against the looming “yellow danger” in order to undermine the power of Russia, and Mikhail Menshikov stated that Jews and Chinese are united by “economic parasitism” and “the ancient claim of Asia to own us.”

At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, they were replaced by the concepts of “Islamic threat” and “invasion of migrants”. However, there are also other options for using the concepts of “great xenophobia”, for example, statements that “Western civilization” led by Jews pursues the goal of suppressing the “Islamic world” before further confrontation with the “yellow civilization”.

What is xenophobia?

Xenophobia is a pronounced hostility towards everything that is perceived as foreign. Typically, xenophobia arises in relation to representatives of other nationalities, cultures and religions. It manifests itself in the fact that a person refuses to perceive another as his equal, treating him with fear, contempt or hostility. In this case, emotional rejection can be so strong that a person has a desire for physical violence against the “stranger.” And quite often such experiences develop into open aggression.

The term "xenophobia" is of Greek origin. It is formed from the words xenos (stranger) and phobos (fear). Accordingly, it is translated as “fear of strangers.” Quite often, xenophobia is directed at people belonging to a certain nation, religion or minority identified on some specific basis. In such cases, the corresponding terms are used: Islamophobia, Christianophobia, Russophobia, Caucasian phobia, Sinophobia (anti-Chinese sentiments), homophobia, etc.

The opinion of psychologists: what xenophobia leads to

The term “xenophobia”, like “homophobia”, is superficially similar to the usual medical concept - such as claustrophobia, agoraphobia, etc. But today these words are most often used outside the medical and scientific context - namely in politics and public life. In fact, all of the above phobias are initially of a medical nature and manifest themselves not only on the mental, but also on the physical level.

So, with xenophobia, a person experiences a painful reaction when meeting a stranger or foreigner: trembling, shortness of breath, heavy sweating, accelerated pulse, nausea, anxiety, panic attacks. The behavior of a patient with xenophobia in a severe condition can become inadequate: after all, he is trying by all means to avoid meeting a stranger.

Thus, at the personal level, xenophobia can lead to severe mental and physical disorders. And at the political and social level, xenophobia can even pose a danger, of which there have been many examples in history.

Xenophobia contributes to the growth of crime, militarism, and military sentiment. It also leads to general suspicion and hatred: a xenophobic adherent may suspect even his best friend of sympathy for “outsiders.”

Xenophobia, however, has always accompanied humanity. Since ancient times, people of one country have been divided into castes and classes, and each has hostility towards representatives of other castes. Since ancient times, people have participated in religious wars (for example, the Crusades). In the Middle Ages, the phenomenon of feudal fragmentation contributed to hostile relations between residents of literally neighboring cities and villages. Xenophobia has passed through time and has survived to our time. Now it is found everywhere to one degree or another, even in the most prosperous and “quiet” countries.

Xenophobia and anti-Semitism

In many undeveloped countries, manifestations of xenophobia and, in particular, anti-Semitism go hand in hand. Why does this happen and how to deal with the problem?

Initially, it should be explained that anti-Semitism is a process of discrimination (infringement of rights) of Jews for certain reasons. There is a clear pattern here: the more mature a society is, the less xenophobia it has. However, even at the global level, it is too early to talk about a solution to the problem, since UNESCO officials recently adopted a resolution excluding the historical right of Jews to the Temple Mount, the walls of Jerusalem and the Old City.

What to do with a xenophobe

Xenophobic views of an individual can be easily corrected (with the condition of early seeking help and competently conducted therapy). It is possible to remove a phobia, but only if the main condition is met:

Timely fight and correction of xenophobic sentiments helps to avoid dangerous manifestations of such phobia: extremism, criminal manifestations, racism. Xenophobia is a type of phobic disorder. Phobias can be successfully treated with the help of psychotherapeutic measures.

Cultivating tolerance is one of the methods for preventing xenophobia

Trainings, group classes, and explanatory conversations help overcome inherent fears and prejudices. In cases of severe disorder, hypnotherapy methods are used. If necessary, psychocorrection is accompanied by drug treatment.

Prevention of xenophobia

For the spread of a dangerous phobia, a very important step is to carry out preventive measures. Competent prevention is especially important among adolescents and young adults. Prevention to prevent xenophobia should cover the following areas:

Social. Carrying out measures aimed at improving the psychological microclimate in certain areas and regions. Providing support to vulnerable segments of the population, small ethnic groups and individual national groups.

Economic. Improving living standards, solving the problem of unemployment and employment of citizens.

Measures aimed at preventing and combating xenophobia

Political. Organization of mass events aimed at introducing the cultural traditions of neighboring peoples. Such work is carried out after careful monitoring of the existing socio-economic situation in a particular region (existing interethnic sentiments are taken into account).

Educational. It is carried out through programs aimed at developing among the population a respectful attitude towards representatives of other races, nationalities and religious denominations.

Informational. With the use of active propaganda activities aimed at awakening tolerance and humanism. At the same time, the fight against the dissemination of extremist information is being carried out.

Cultural. Carrying out mass events based on the traditions of different nationalities (national holidays, familiarization with cultural and ethnic traditions).

The more areas the prevention of xenophobia covers, the more effective the outcome of preventive measures will be. With the help of regional authorities and the influence of the older generation, the phenomenon of xenophobia can be reduced to an absolute minimum in modern society, making people's lives safe and multifaceted.

Prevention of xenophobia

It is recommended to engage in prevention among children, adolescents and young people (these categories are highly suggestible) and implement it at several levels:

1. Society. We need to pay attention to the protection of vulnerable segments of the population: refugees, beggars, low-income people. It is necessary to create conditions for their self-realization and adaptation.
2. Economy. It is necessary to improve the standard of living of the population, strive to reduce the gap in income levels, and reduce socio-economic inequality.
3. Policy. It is necessary to regulate and prevent conflicts through laws.
4. Education and media. It is necessary to promote tolerance and respect for other people, talk about the peculiarities of their culture and way of life, talk about their advantages, and not just their disadvantages. Schools and kindergartens need to be included in the work.
5. Entertainment. It is necessary to organize more events for cultural rapprochement, communication and getting to know people.

In addition, it is necessary to monitor the formation of groups that glorify xenophobia and extremism, promptly disperse them, talk about xenophobia as a political weapon, and highlight the harm of such an attitude towards people.

Varieties

It is a mistaken belief that xenophobia is synonymous with racism. Racism is a manifestation of hostility towards other nationalities. An obsessive fear of unfamiliar faces that are different from a person is completely different.

It also cannot be said that the description of xenophobia completely coincides with nationalism. If in the second case people are frightened by representatives of other nationalities, religions and cultures, then the meaning of xenophobia suggests that the patient can be frightened even by external distinctive characteristics.

There are different types of xenophobia, which are classified according to different criteria. There are 2 main forms of pathology, which are determined by their manifestations.

1. Hidden form.
2. Aggressive form.

In the first case, a person trusts the stereotypes that all gypsies are thieves, but reacts adequately to the appearance of this nationality nearby.

The second variety is quite dangerous. The xenophobe in this case can physically deal with Jews, blacks, Muslims and all those people who differ from him both externally and internally. Extremism often develops on the basis of excessive aggression - fighting a problem using the most extreme methods of solving it. Extremism is manifested by real legal discrimination against all migrants.

Another criterion for classifying xenophobia is the ethnic group towards which all aggression is directed. Racism is clearly identified aggression towards other races. Anti-Semitism in the modern world is called hatred of Jews. Sinophobia is a pathological fear of the Chinese and other “narrow-eyed” peoples. Xenophobia can be classified according to the orientation of the group in society.

1. Sexism is discrimination based on gender.
2. Handicapism is hatred of people with disabilities.
3. Ageism means discrimination based on age.

There are other types of xenophobia, classified according to other criteria, but the most famous and common types are listed above.

Sexism often accompanies xenophobia

Examples of manifestations of xenophobia

Today, xenophobia is also one of the components of such concepts as:

• chauvinism, fascism, Nazism, racism, anti-Semitism;
• sexism, ageism, handicapism;
• staurophobia, Islamophobia and others.

Chauvinism, fascism, Nazism, racism, anti-Semitism

These movements are united by fear or hatred, hostility towards people of a different race or ethnicity.

Chauvinism

The most acute form of nationalism, that is, the theory that one nation is superior to all others, is the most important, dominant, best.

According to one version, the term got its name from the name of an ardent follower of the aggressive policy of Napoleon Bonaparte - a soldier named Chauvin.

According to another, the French artist Nicolas-Toussaint Charlet created a series of pictures about the furious soldier Chauvin. His name and character gave rise to the term chauvinism.

Fascism

A movement that arose in Italy at the beginning of the 20th century. Its creator, Benito Mussolini, called the superiority of one nation over others as its main idea.

Nazism

A form of fascism that also includes racism and anti-Semitism.

The term originates from the German Nazi. These two syllables were taken from the name of a supporter of the German political party of Adolf Hitler - “national socialist” (National-sozialist).

Racism

A concept built on the superiority of one race over others.

The term was coined by the French writer and sociologist Joseph Arthur de Gobineau. He was the author of a racial theory that exalted one race - the Aryan. Despite the fact that such a race did not exist. Languages ​​from the Indo-European language family were called Aryan.

Supporters of Hitler's party took up Gobineau's theory. They considered the Aryan race to be “superior” and tried to get rid of other “inferior” and unworthy races, in particular the Semitic.

Antisemitism

Hatred of Jews; prejudice according to which Semitic peoples, particularly the Jews, are considered a primitive and inferior race.

Read more about Fascism.

Sexism, ageism and handicapism

These movements are united by fear of people who differ in physical parameters and gender characteristics.

Sexism

Infringement of human rights depending on his gender. The origin of the term is related to the women's rights movement that took place in the United States in the 1960s.

According to the ideology of sexism, women and men have different characteristics and parameters. These features determine what a man is capable of and what a woman is capable of. Accordingly, based on this, an assumption is made about what work they are capable of performing, what functions to perform, etc.

Ageism

Prejudice towards a person depending on his age (from the English age - age).

As part of the fight against ageism, the UN General Assembly declared October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons. Combating ageism includes raising awareness about the problems associated with aging and conveying the message that older people are not a burden to society.

Handicapism

The word comes from the English handicap, translated as “injury”, “physical or moral defect”.

Dislike or fear of people with physical disabilities, as well as people with mental abilities or psychological qualities different from the norm accepted in society.

Handicap means that a person, due to limited mental abilities or his psychological qualities, is not developed to the same extent as other people.

These movements are united by a fear of people who profess other religions or do not believe in God at all.

Islamophobia

Fear and hostility, even hatred towards people who profess Islam, as well as everything connected with it: customs, holidays, etc.

Find out also what Humanism, Morality, Anti-Semitism and Ethics are.

How to get rid of xenophobia?

Trying to better understand what xenophobia is and how it arises, psychologists have discovered that it quite often becomes a consequence of dissatisfaction with one’s own life (like sublimation, only with a minus sign). Xenophobia takes over all a person’s thoughts, allowing one to escape from everyday bustle and worries (and at the same time blame strangers for one’s own problems). Therefore, a good way to combat xenophobia is to be passionate about your own life. If a person begins to intensively take care of himself and his loved ones, he will have no time to think about strangers and distant people who have nothing to do with him.

If you feel that you have xenophobic sentiments that you cannot get rid of using the method described above, use the following tips:

1. Immediately determine the cause of hostility

. If you catch yourself thinking that you are experiencing negative feelings towards another person, try to find an objective and logical reason for this. It is likely that negative experiences will disappear immediately after realizing that there is no reason.

2. Learn to manage your emotions

. Psychological self-regulation is a skill that is useful in many life situations. It helps to effectively cope with causeless outbursts of hostility towards strangers.

3. Accept and love yourself

. Often the cause of xenophobia is unconscious dissatisfaction with oneself. By learning to value yourself, your abilities and capabilities, you will get rid of this reason.

4. Cultivate tolerance

. People find it difficult to be tolerant because they are afraid that “outsiders” will compete with them for resources. But imagine that you have everything you need: family, housing, good income and confidence in the future. In this case, will you still have reasons to dislike strangers? But your well-being depends only on you, and not on them. Therefore, be equally open and friendly to all people, regardless of their nationality, religion, sexual orientation or the color of their pants. Read more about tolerance, its pros and cons, in this article.

5. Get rid of mental trauma

. Any person may have mental trauma “lying around” from childhood, of which he is unaware. Perhaps a few conversations with a psychotherapist will help you get rid of obsessive worries about strangers and concentrate on your own life.