Social Group Dynamics and Patterns of Latin American Integration Processes

Abstract

Dinámicas de grupos sociales y procesos de integración en América LatinaR E S U M E N | Este artículo propone incorporar elementos de la psicología social a las perspectivas tradicionales de la ciencia política y de las relaciones internacionales para explicar las dinámicas contradictorias de los procesos de la integración latinoamericana. Mediante un análisis teórico, responde al desafío planteado por Dabène (2009) para explicar la "resiliencia" de la agenda integracionista en la región a pesar de su "inestabilidad y crisis". El principal argumento consiste en considerar a Latinoamérica como una comunidad, y sus organizaciones regionales, como "grupos sociales". Como conclusión, se plantea que tres fenómenos definidos por la psicología social, específicamente por la psicología social de grupos, permiten esclarecer estos patrones contradictorios: el valor del grupo y el vínculo emocional; el pensamiento grupal; y la disonancia cognitiva. T E M A S V A R I O SDinâmicas de grupos sociais e processos de integração na América Latina R E S U M O | Este artigo propõe incorporar elementos da psicologia social às perspectivas tradicionais da ciência política e das relações internacionais para explicar as dinâmicas contraditórias dos processos de integração latino-americana. Mediante uma análise teórica, responde ao desafio proposto por Dabène (2009) para explicar a "resiliência" da agenda integracionista na região apesar da sua "instabilidade e crise". O principal argumento consiste em considerar a América Latina como uma comunidade e suas organizações regionais como "grupos sociais". Como conclusão, propõem-se que três fenômenos definidos pela psicologia social, particularmente pela psicologia social de grupos, permitem esclarecer essas contradições: o valor do grupo e a vinculação emocional; o pensamento grupal e a dissonância cognitiva.PA L AV R A S -C H AV E | América Latina, psicologia social, integração, relações internacionais (Thesaurus); regionalismo, comunidade latino-americana, dinâmicas de grupos sociais (Autor)

Public Policy Perspective on Group Decision‐Making Dynamics in Foreign Policy

“…The present wave of scholarship continues to include characteristics of the first and second wave. For example, Dubé and Thiers () utilized the groupthink model to explain contradictory patterns related to integration processes in Latin America. Forsberg and Pursiainen () also utilize the groupthink dynamic as part of their explanation of Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.…”

“…Janis's case studies relating to groupthink decision‐making dynamics related to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor (1941), the escalation of the war in Korea (1950), Bay of Pigs operation (1961), and the involvement of the U.S. in the Vietnam conflict under President Johnson focus on the decision stage. More recent examples of groupthink during this stage include the 2003 decision of the Bush administration to invade Iraq (Mintz & Wayne, 2016a), the 2014 decision of the Obama administration to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria (Mintz & Wayne, 2016a), the 2014 decision by Russia to annex the Crimean Peninsula (Forsberg & Pursiainen, ), and the policy decisions related to integration processes in Latin America (Dubé & Thiers, ).…”

A Model to Explore how Communal Traits Affects Stay Intent Amongst Taiwanese Nurses

“…Studies have shown that psychological need thwarting decreases individuals’ stay intent ( Chen et al, 2020 ; Huyghebaert et al, 2018 ). Research on the black sheep effect points out that it is extremely stressful for a group member when they feel different from the group, which can relate to behavior or decision-making ( Dubé & Thiers, 2017 ). Members who deviate from a group norm (e.g., black people in a predominantly white society, or overly masculine females) may easily experience problems in a group, such as pressure and exclusion behavior from peers and inappropriate treatment from managers ( Breakwell et al, 2003 ; Cranmer & Cranmer, 2013 ).…”

Reproducing and reflecting Latin America and South America: Wendtian and Deweyan analyses of Bolivia, Brazil and Chile in the agent-structure dynamic of the region.

“…If states are human organizations, and regional organizations are, too, the repeated reproduction of similar organizations may be best explained as social group dynamics. A recent and indeed innovative theoretical approach is pioneered by Dubé and Thiers (2017). They consider Latin American and South American countries as a group and explain regional dynamics quite in a manner social psychologists would.…”

“…Nolte and Comini (2016) part from a similar ontology as Dubé and Thiers (2017) an insight into the importance given by Latin American leaders to presenting their countries as part of certain regional organizations at the United Nations General Assembly. Using interpretations borrowed from social psychology, Dubé and Thiers (2017) offer a plausible explanation as to why a seemingly unproductive regional integration dynamic keeps being reproduced in the same regional space.…”