Society Nepotism

[Josef]

Well, it is a concept perhaps not often talked about, but it seems to be looming from everywhere. At least, I can speak for my country, this seems to be some kind of illness here, nepotism is very high and almost all of the public institution are based on it. It might just be due to the small population in my country, a popular phrase we use here is: "Everyone knows everyone". It's kind of a small town complex, that devours the whole country.

This seems to go against every aspect of a free and fair market, of course the private section is overwhelmed by this as well. It seems everywhere you turn around there is a hierarchy that is build upon nepotism. Globally I really want to know about this phenomenon?

I really do not know if it is common elsewhere as it is here. It seems to be the central topic of BEING for most people.

And also another thing is how to find solutions about this problem?

Discuss, please.

 

[benelori]

It's popular here...and there's only one thing that can really stop it...big failure...imagine a person of authority lending positions to his kids...and the kids screw up, and someone competent has to rise to solve the problem...that person usually doesn't give into the lure of nepotism, so it works out...

It's like that popular saying that exists in every culture...if something is really bad, tear it down and rebuild it...or along those lines anyway...too bad other peoples' lives are at stake...

 

[Josef]

We are brothers in this category, bene, sadly, since our countries have suffered the same historical conditions. I do not know if developed countries ever faced this along the way, well they certainly can not face the way we are facing it.

Interesting solution, are you calling for a revolution? Hey it rhymes.

Jokes aside, I think it has to start with the individual, like that one guy that stopped the tanks in China, I image one guy standing up for what is right might make the difference, how that will go down is uncertain though, still on the drawing board on that part.

 

[synapse]

organize and revolt in numbers. better than living your life like deadbeats

 

[Franckie]

In theory, the simplest solution is probably to make as much of civil service accountable to elected leaders. The United States suffered from rampant nepotism all the way up to the 1900s with the Spoils System. Alas, it's easier said than done, and I doubt the majority of people who subscribe to such a view practice what they preach. Furthermore, nepotism is as old as human civilization itself. The ancient Romans, for example, have accounts of people being awarded positions of influence who probably shouldn't have been (e.g. Tiberius). If you want modern examples, just see what is happening in China and the United States. Nepotism threatens China and what is going on in Harvard is but one example of nepotism crawling back into the US as the plutocrats strengthen their hold on the US government.

 

[Jorge D. Dragon]

Well, I think you can count every ex Sovient Union country and every country from Eastern Europe, because it's quite common in these countries.
Sometimes even so-called presidents after decades of their rule make their children be able to "inherit" their position...

So, well, it seems it's quite common in Europe.

Also, it's also quite common in private firms, even though it's strange for, since if your relatives or friends don't have qualification, you might loose money and so on, but it still works like this.

 

[faintsmile1992]

The more clannish a country is the more prone its members are to nepotism, and the more likely its people are to see nepotism as normal. So the peoples of the Balkans will be more nepotistic than the English or the Germans, and the Chinese more nepotistic than are the Japanese etc.

Altruism towards related and unrelated individuals is not the same thing.

Clannish societies are naturally 'low trust' (towards unrelated individuals), whilst societies that are relatively predisposed towards altruism to unrelated individuals ('high trust') are naturally predisposed towards low levels of nepotism and to an expectation that people be fairer to non-kin.

Though some degree of nepotism is present everywhere in the world, of course. People have instincts to put their own families first like every other social animal. If it wasn't for nepotism there wouldn't even be societies in the first place.

 

[M3J]

Nepotism is a bad thing. It can cause problems, especially when incompetent doofs are hired over talented people. I don't get the logic behind nepotism... wouldn't you want to choose a good person for the job rather than the person you're close with that you know is horrible?

 

[Kaiten]

Nepotism is a bad thing. It can cause problems, especially when incompetent doofs are hired over talented people. I don't get the logic behind nepotism... wouldn't you want to choose a good person for the job rather than the person you're close with that you know is horrible?

Success is not necessarily the goal. The person in charge might prefer yes-men and sycophants. Depending on the situation, the person in charges might be more interested in using their position to accumulate money, plunder resources, acquire property, and consolidate power. Corrupt individuals are better off surrounding themselves with weak dependents. Nepotism reduces the risk of rebellion. Strong, ambitious, intelligent people are more likely to say no, to try and rebel against questionable activity.

 

[Josef]

Success is not necessarily the goal. The person in charge might prefer yes-men and sycophants. Depending on the situation, the person in charges might be more interested in using their position to accumulate money, plunder resources, acquire property, and consolidate power. Corrupt individuals are better off surrounding themselves with weak dependents. Nepotism reduces the risk of rebellion. Strong, ambitious, intelligent people are more likely to say no, to try and rebel against questionable activity.

Doesn't that lead to the whole society eventually getting corrupted?

For example in my country, nepotism is a real issue when it comes to government jobs, more so in the administration, sadly it spread to the police, teachers and so on, that do not do stuff related to the administration. I do think those jobs still require well trained individuals.

People here fear that the whole system would collapse one day if it gets overloaded with nepotism, since the goal is not for the country to function well.

 

[kannazuki]

The more clannish a country is the more prone its members are to nepotism, and the more likely its people are to see nepotism as normal. So the peoples of the Balkans will be more nepotistic than the English or the Germans, and the Chinese more nepotistic than are the Japanese etc.

Altruism towards related and unrelated individuals is not the same thing.

Clannish societies are naturally 'low trust' (towards unrelated individuals), whilst societies that are relatively predisposed towards altruism to unrelated individuals ('high trust') are naturally predisposed towards low levels of nepotism and to an expectation that people be fairer to non-kin.

Though some degree of nepotism is present everywhere in the world, of course. People have instincts to put their own families first like every other social animal. If it wasn't for nepotism there wouldn't even be societies in the first place.

This really reminds me of Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions (the "power distance" dimension in particular, but also "individuality"). Are you familiar with those? (I would prefer if they'd call the one of them "competition" rather than "masculinity," but other than that, the theory is backed with hard data, and overlaps with some of what you said.)

Success is not necessarily the goal. The person in charge might prefer yes-men and sycophants. Depending on the situation, the person in charges might be more interested in using their position to accumulate money, plunder resources, acquire property, and consolidate power. Corrupt individuals are better off surrounding themselves with weak dependents. Nepotism reduces the risk of rebellion. Strong, ambitious, intelligent people are more likely to say no, to try and rebel against questionable activity.

Yes, since most can't pull off a Machiavellian plot to control people, nepotism is useful for plutocrats to who want to reinforce their power base.