Assignment 10

“Patriotism is probably the strongest noneconomic motive for organizational allegiance in modern times. This age is sometimes called the age of nationalism. Many nations draw additional strength and unity from some powerful ideology, such as democracy or communism, as well as from a common religion, language, or cultural inheritance.” THE LOGIC OF COLLECTIVE ACTION Public Goods and the Theory of Groups, MANCUR OLSON.

This passage is mentioning one the easiest method to bring people together. Patriotism is seen to be used in any business, from a small business to a large corporation.  People have a natural sense of loyalty to their nationality, the religious beliefs they were brought up with, and the list can go on continuously. The unconditional loyalty strength is astonishing, with many people sacrificing their lives being part of the military group to protect their fellow countryman. Besides patriotism, ideology can be a powerful tool and work as effectively if the population can be influenced and informed effectively the belief that is being introduced. Because of patriotism and ideology, countless amount of groups are formed in America which ranges from race to business interest.

From my understanding, patriotism is very powerful. I moved from Brazil to the United States at age 7, and did not really grow up in Brazil to fully embrace the culture. But, my natural loyalty is undeniable and I am emotionally connected to my origin and I always feel the want to give back if I can. In the United States, businesses uses patriotism and ideology as a strategy for profit. For example, many manufacturing jobs were sent overseas due to cheaper labor costs and now we have a dilemma that many American citizens want to buy American made goods to support the local job market. Many corporations and small businesses uses American made slogans part of their advertising campaign to gain market shares. The same applies to ideology because a local supermarket will cater to religious holiday demand to sell items.