FRENEMY - FRIEND OR ENEMY? : THE SECRET LOVE HATE THEORY IN SOCIOLOGY

 

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"YOU ARE EITHER ON MY SIDE OR YOU'RE IN MY WAY"

We all associate ourselves with a particular group and also differentiate from another group. The associating group will include your liked ones and you might hold a different emotion with it and the other differentiating group (out-group) will also be seen with a different kind of emotion as the view towards it will not be one and the same with the in-group. The disparity within the groups might also fan the flames of conflicts between them.

In simple terms, a group of people voting for one particular political party will hold on to each other and will be in good terms within themselves while those who are at odds with the ideology will be seen with hatred and ultimately an enmity position.

Amity-enmity complex is a theory propounded by a sociologist Arthur Keith. He says that this complex ushers to a form of evolution in the society. No society remains static but is always in a dynamic structure bringing in a change in the society leading to a progress or a development from the existing system. This complex is found innate and is also indoctrinated in the minds of others. This can be disruptive although it can bring solidarity and a kind of a communal feeling at times. This also creates the identity of a person as this complex lets everyone know about who he is and what he stands for. This idea behind this theory is a bit puzzling because this cannot be termed as undesirable to eliminate it from the whole of the society because this does its own job given by the concepts like evolution and the role sets.

If you ask me where this theory can be found playing its role, I would say that it is occurring and recurring everywhere – Recently, I’ve witnessed few online contests in social media platforms that are being held in colleges where the winner is declared with the count of ‘likes’ for their pictures. Do you think this will probably create a change for the better and a good move or will end up with some major upheavals like insecurities among the students, inferior-superior complex frolics, hatred towards the fellow students?

It is quite interesting to note that our rationality roots with the amity-enmity complex which in turn provides us with individuality. It is our cortex that deals with consciousness and the cognitive ability that pushes us to do any act with slight influences from the society that we live in. There was a viral video circulating last week where an accusing white man was thrashed by a black person while commuting in train. Those around him when he was abusing the black man did not encourage him in any way but was against his acts, this shows the amity part playing its role while the harasser would have developed an enmity complex towards the fellow white people who restrained his act against the black man saying that it is not fair to ill-treat a person on the basis of his skin colour or nationality.  

The example mentioned above clearly states us the dual role of amity and enmity playing simultaneously. The impulses directed are due to the cognitive structuring that were formed and engraved into our minds by our society from the beginning, neglecting the emotional state and moral standards which are imperative to be considered.   

But it is inevitable for us to omit this particular complex. It does trigger violence although it is also what puts us together in a plate. The world evolves with the twists and turns of the man’s variations in amity-enmity complex. Yet, we move on.