Journal betasam's Journal: Nepotism, Cronyism and the Barter system
Recently while dealing with a couple of firms, I've noticed that firms are many a time willing to drop their prices in return for a favour. While this is usually translated as good for a favourable economic climate within categories of groups of bussinesses, I see this form of Nepotism as the continuance of the Barter system. Further, I see that even the whole "Free/Libre Software" or "Open Source Software" community is actually closer to a Barter system practicing Nepotism or Cronyism. Yes, there's always the claim of being a meritocracy with these groups, but many self-labelled meritocracies are usually systems supporting nepotism. So long as different minds seem to agree (more in friendly terms) that a certain person is "like-minded" (rather than capable or meritorious), they are interested in admitting him/her into the community. In more accurate terminology this might be closer to cronyism where the relationship is a sort of long-standing friendship created through sharing of like minded thought or argument. This tendency of socio-political networking seems to be a basic pattern in many forms of grouping.
Modern social networking has found new ways of development. Networks like Orkut, Hi5 (and loads of others) have become popular. Entrepreneurs tend to create new teams based on networks they develop and try to exist initially in economic eco-systems created through them. This form of social behaviour has been at the root of "Dynastic Politics" (often used in a derogatory meaning). In India, I see both Nepotism and Cronyism termed as Communal preference. There are enough examples of companies, where people are coalesced on the basis of some communal group. I am sure such patterns of social grouping can be observed at almost any level. Even the "Indian Heritage System" of marriages (a.k.a arranged marriages) within communities is indicative of a long-term existence of such social grouping. The heart of civilisation seems to be rooted on the very phenomenon that united groups of humans into tribes. Julius Caesar named Octavian, his Nephew (Latin:Nepos - Nepotism) in his will for succession of property, having had no legitimate male heir to bear his cognomen. Looking at legal social structures, I see that such grouping coupled with exchanges of favours within them are far ahead in numbers than of any attempting to follow idealist principles of "universal brotherhood".
The reason that has led me to think in this direction is because of the almost unexplainable rioting in France that spread to Germany, the prevalence of an unexplainable nexus between multiple rebel/millitant/anarchist/terrorist groups. They too seem to be such a grouping only facilitated further by modern communication and commutation means. Ultimately it seems that the adage "Birds of a feather flock together" may actually have an entirely different interpretation in the 'social' context. The pursuit of creating the global village is therefore exponentially difficult due to linguistic, ethnic, communal, religious, ideal and relative barriers.
Modern social networking has found new ways of development. Networks like Orkut, Hi5 (and loads of others) have become popular. Entrepreneurs tend to create new teams based on networks they develop and try to exist initially in economic eco-systems created through them. This form of social behaviour has been at the root of "Dynastic Politics" (often used in a derogatory meaning). In India, I see both Nepotism and Cronyism termed as Communal preference. There are enough examples of companies, where people are coalesced on the basis of some communal group. I am sure such patterns of social grouping can be observed at almost any level. Even the "Indian Heritage System" of marriages (a.k.a arranged marriages) within communities is indicative of a long-term existence of such social grouping. The heart of civilisation seems to be rooted on the very phenomenon that united groups of humans into tribes. Julius Caesar named Octavian, his Nephew (Latin:Nepos - Nepotism) in his will for succession of property, having had no legitimate male heir to bear his cognomen. Looking at legal social structures, I see that such grouping coupled with exchanges of favours within them are far ahead in numbers than of any attempting to follow idealist principles of "universal brotherhood".
The reason that has led me to think in this direction is because of the almost unexplainable rioting in France that spread to Germany, the prevalence of an unexplainable nexus between multiple rebel/millitant/anarchist/terrorist groups. They too seem to be such a grouping only facilitated further by modern communication and commutation means. Ultimately it seems that the adage "Birds of a feather flock together" may actually have an entirely different interpretation in the 'social' context. The pursuit of creating the global village is therefore exponentially difficult due to linguistic, ethnic, communal, religious, ideal and relative barriers.
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Nepotism, Cronyism and the Barter system
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