A psychological and social tendency characterized by an individual’s or group’s belief in the unconditional superiority of one’s group, race, creed, or nation, while belittling or despising others. Chauvinism is often associated with exaggerated pride and blind bias towards the group, subordination to its interests, even if they contradict universal human truths and values. The word comes from the name of Nicolas Chauvin, a French soldier in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army, known for his extreme and fanatical loyalty to the emperor, to the point that his name has become a symbol of any irrational or uncritical loyalty to a group or leader. Hence, the concept entered the social and psychological sciences to describe patterns of group bias and fanaticism. In a psychological context, chauvinism is a form of fanatical groupthink that feeds the collective ego, where a person feels superior solely by belonging to a particular group, without the need for real personal achievement.
The main features of chauvinism are:
1) Blind bias – absolute devotion to the group without questions or criticism.
2) Belief in collective superiority – the conviction that one group is always better and higher than others.
3) Contempt for others – treating others as less valuable or unworthy of respect.
4) Emotionality is the priority of national, religious or cultural feelings over rational thinking.
5) Resistance to change – refusal to recognize equality or justice when the privileges of the group are threatened.