Our project ‘Community of Strangers’ seeks to explore the underpinnings of both bias and belonging within our species by providing an understanding of our evolutionary pre-disposition to favour those most similar to us.
We seek to provide a deeper understanding as well as possible solutions which might help mitigate the causes of radicalisation and hate.
By using the latest neuroscience and psychology, delving into the needs of human behaviour, we will explain the foundations of our shared humanity and the common search for belonging including in-group bias and the precursors to prejudice and hate.
At the heart of the project lies our intention and desire to enrich our communities by examining how individuals can function as valued and informed members of the communities – hence, the title ‘Community of Strangers’. A title taken from the works of American author and political scientist Iris Marion Young, who has described community as a collective “being together of strangers”.
