I-Oxytocin Ishintsha Izintandokazi Zezombusazwe

Lapho bebuzwa, abantu banikeza izizathu ezizwakalayo zokuthi kungani baziveza njengamaDemokhrasi, amaRiphabhulikhi, ama-Independent, noma amalungu elinye iqembu lezepolitiki. Kodwa-ke ucwaningo lososayensi bezepolitiki uJohn Alford, uCary Funk, noJohn Hibbing lukhombisa ukuthi cishe ingxenye eyodwa yokwahluka kokuthandwa yizombusazwe kubantu ngabanye kunqunywa ngokofuzo.

Kepha kuthiwani ngenye ingxenye? Ilebhu yami yenze ucwaningo lokuhlola ukuthi izintandokazi zezombusazwe ziyashintsha yini. Imiphumela isimangaze.

Ucwaningo lwami bekungolokuqala ukukhomba indima ye-neurochemical oxytocin ekuziphatheni okuhle. Ngibiza i-oxytocin ngokuthi "yi-molecule yokuziphatha" ngoba isenza sikhathalele abanye — ngisho nabantu esingabazi — ngezindlela ezibonakalayo. Kepha i-oxytocin ingenza abantu banakekele umuntu ozongenela ukhetho kwezepolitiki wakwelinye iqembu?

Ngenkathi yokuqala yonyaka ka-2008 kamongameli, mina nozakwethu sasiphatha i-synthetic oxytocin noma i-placebo kubafundi besilisa basekolishi abangama-88 ababezichaze njengamaDemokhrasi, amaRiphabhuliki, noma ama-Independent (abesifazane babengekho ngenxa yokuthi imiphumela ye-oxytocin iyashintsha ngokuya esikhathini). Ngemuva kwehora, i-oxytocin eyanele ingena ebuchosheni ukwenza abantu bathembeke ngokwengeziwe, baphane futhi babe nozwelo kwabanye. Kepha ezombusazwe ziyasihlukanisa nabanye, njengoba uJonathan Haidt ekhombisile encwadini yakhe ethi The Righteous Mind: Why People Good Divided by Politics and Religion, ngakho-ke besingenasiqiniseko sokuthi i-oxytocin ingaba nomphumela othile.

Isilingo besilula: Linganisa kusuka ku-0 kuye ku-100 ukuthi uzizwa ufudumele kangakanani kosopolitiki abanjengoMongameli wase-U.S., I-congressperson yakho, nalabo abangena kuma-primaries avuleke kakhulu ebandla lawo womabili amaqembu.

Sithole ukuthi amaDemocrats akwi-oxytocin anemizwa efudumele kakhulu kubo bonke abakhethiweyo baseRepublican kunabakwaDemocrats abathola i-placebo, kufaka phakathi ukwanda kwemfudumalo ngamaphesenti angama-30 kaJohn McCain, ukukhuphuka ngamaphesenti angama-28 kukaRudy Giuliani, kanye nokukhuphuka ngamaphesenti angama-25 kukaMitt Romney.

AmaRiphabhuliki, akukho lutho. I-Oxytocin ayibenzanga basekela kakhulu uHillary Clinton, uBarack Obama, noma uJohn Edwards. Abazimele baxakekile, kepha i-oxytocin yabasusa kancane yaya eDemocratic Party.

Ukumba imininingwane ngokujulile, sithole ukuthi akubona bonke amaDemokhrasi ku-oxytocin abafudumele bebheke kwi-GOP kepha yilabo kuphela abaxhume ngokukhululekile neqembu. Babize ngokuthi abavoti beDemocratic swing voter, kepha iqiniso ukuthi abavoti beRiphabhulikhi abavotela abakwazanga ukuhanjiswa ngendlela efanayo.

Okutholakele kwethu kuyahambisana nezifundo ezibonisa ukuthi amaDemokhrasi ajwayele ukugxila kancane emibonweni yawo, kuyilapho amaRephabliki ekhathazeka kakhulu ngokuphepha futhi enempendulo yehaba yokuxineka ngemuva kwengcindezelo engalindelekile.

Yize kungeke kube yinto efanelekile kosopolitiki ukufafaza i-oxytocin emoyeni emihlanganweni yezepolitiki, lolu cwaningo luhlinzeka ngenhloso yochwepheshe bezamasu beRiphabhulikhi ukuheha abavoti beDemocratic: basebenze imingcele yozwela nokwethembana. URomney kumele akhombise ukuthi uyangeneka futhi unokwethenjelwa kukho konke ukubonakala komphakathi.

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Kuthunyelwe ekuqaleni ku-The Huffington Post 9/24/2012

Lolu cwaningo lwenziwa noSolwazi Jennifer Merolla, uDkt Sheila Ahmadi, kanye nabafundi abaphothule iziqu uGuy Burnett noKenny Pyle. UZak ungumbhali weThe Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity (Dutton, 2012).