Positive versus Negative Integration (For Tuesday)

 By Best in Moderation

Union is, without many exceptions, considered a good thing. Joining together skills, resources and people in common cause is a large part of most stories, legends and teachings we share as a species. It is the backbone of our societies and it is arguably what has made us the dominant species on this planet. 

So as an End, Union seems to be universally positive. But is the End all that matters?

I'd like to introduce you, if you haven't heard of it, to Positive and Negative Integration, and how the two are currently under a test of superiority in the United States of America (and elsewhere).

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Positive Integration is the act of joining together in a union based on common characteristics, goals, values etc, and working to build those up. You see this in activity clubs like sports teams, volunteer groups and construction projects, for example. People bring their diverse skills and selves to bear in achieving a unified end, and by doing so often create a long-lasting Union, under which more of those same activities make take place. Most long-lasting nations use Positive Integration to establish a national identity and culture, and joining a union usually only requires you share in the commonality in some way.

Important to note here is that it does not require, by nature, that ALL characteristics, values and goals are shared. True Positive Integration has a few clearly defined commonalities that do not exclude other, non-related traits. However, a Positive Integration cannot accept traits that stand in stark opposition to the shared items.

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Negative Integration, on the other hand, works by uniting people against a common obstacle, an active threat or a set of people or values. You see this in groups like a military, emergency response, even medical care. People under common threat join together to fight it, eradicate it, and protect against it. Most Negative Integration groups form sporadically and for a short time, as threats are rarely permanent. Note that this is not always the case, as with a threat like Death or deeply-ensconced racism it can last a very long time or forever.

Joining a union of Negative Integration requires you to also oppose the threat actively. Neutral parties and those who make up or support the threat cannot join, and while the latter is an obvious target, often the former is as well. True Negative Integration focuses narrowly on a particular threat or obstacle, but many have been shown to widen to encompass fearfulness itself in order to sustain itself longer than usual.

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Note that in the examples above, both Positive and Negative Integration are possible, but it is the primary unifying force that defines which one is dominant. And there is no more clear arena showcasing these stark differences than in Politics. 

Currently we are seeing a battle between both forms of integration, as the two dominant parties in the USA have chosen a primary strategy based on one or the other. As seen in the DNC convention two weeks ago, the message they wish to push is the idea of Positive Integration, joining together in common cause to push for values they share. While it often does veer into Negative Integration territory in their opposition to Trump and the threat he represents, the ongoing message is that any and all are welcome to join in building the values shared back into the nation and national policy.

Speakers from all walks of life joined together to talk about family, decency, love, honor, honesty and kindness. Some espoused policies that they believe will build those values in the best possible way, and others left it at highlighting why those values mattered. All focused their push on the idea that together people would join their skills, resources and efforts to build towards a common goal.

Meanwhile Trump and his party have pushed the message of a common enemy (or enemies) that threaten a particular, if poorly defined, way of life. Their Negative Integration is a call to arms for all people who share their values (again, loosely defined but understood well enough by their supporters) to come together to protect them from the threat of Democrats, Socialists, the media, other nations etc. While it sometimes veers into Positive Integration territory by calling on which values need to be protected, most of the emphasis is on what threatens it, what you should be afraid of, and what you need to fight. 

Speakers where mainly from only one walk of life, and they primarily talked about how Biden and his party would destroy their vision of America. Some espoused that policy ideas simply would not work while most pushed the idea that the very ideology held by Biden and company was an existential threat to the nation. All focused their talks on joining to follow Trump, wherever he might lead, as he was their protector from these threats and most effective weapon.

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What we're going to see in November is a clash between these two Unions. While Positive Integration historically builds nations and lasts longer, Negative Integration is historically stronger in flashpoint moments and when a society feels overwhelmed by threats. There's no real advantage either has inherently; what this election will tell us is the context in which they play out.

Some questions to leave you with:

Is the USA a nation that works together to build towards our common values, or is it a nation that bands together to fight its perceived threats? Which one of our Unions is currently our top priority? Will the parties switch their tactics between now and November? What Positive and Negative Integration efforts do you see going on around you?