The Expanded Self: Society as Self 271“9x6” b2726 Self and the Phenomenon of Life: A Biologist Examines Life from Molecules to Humanityhanded from generation to generation (instilled during the formative
years) with little modification, and are distinct from private conscious-
ness unique to each person. It is not so much the validity of the content
as the deep-rooted nature of the beliefs that makes it a strong social
binding force.
12.6.7 Collective sentiment and the social function of art
In Chapter 9: Self and Emotion, I discussed art as an extracorporeal
expression of emotion. Here, in the context of society, I propose that art
serves as an important social glue. Comparative anthropology affirms
the universality of art in human societies, regardless of the level of civi-
lization. Music, dance, sculpture, painting, and religious rites are found
in all human tribes and races. I see no difference between a stirring
tribal war dance and a spirited college football fight song. And look at the
festivities around the world — the Oktoberfests in the Bavarian moun-
tains, the fiestas of Latin American villages, and the powwows of Native
American tribes. Are they not channels for emotional outlet? True, art
does not fill the stomach of an artist, does not provide shelter in bad
weather, but it coalesces individual emotions into public feelings and
sentiments, propelling a group to act in unison.
Fig. 12.1. Group conformity test similar to the one designed by Solomon Asch. The
test subject is asked to match the height of the bar in the left box with one of the bars in
the right box. Most people will yield to group pressure and make a wrong choice even if
they initially have the right answer. [See Note 22.]