I found it interesting how the article talked about the communication being a big part in the identities of the various groups and it makes sense because there are groups of people who may believe similar things but just express it differently or have a common theme but varying goals within the theme, like the example of religion or cultures between the same country.
I originally thought the article was going to talk about groups based on beliefs and parts of the social aspect that we get to choose to be apart of, but the more I read the more it talked about in-outgroups/intergroups from instances without choice, like where you were born or how you grew up. I think the fact that the “out” group is a group that you do not identify with as much was an interesting choice of names because maybe it isn’t that you want to be out of the group or excluded but maybe part of it is just societal and people become placed into these groups without even realizing it.
The grouping system in general seems very unpersonal because it is placing you into an ingroup or outgroup for whatever topic is at hand and one section of the article talked about how any site of engaging with outgroup behavior was frowned upon but I feel like people should get to have more choice in some parts of grouping. Obviously you can’t change where you were born or anything but for the things that you are supposed to be allowed to decide on your own, I don’t think there should necessarily be anything wrong with switching or creating a new ingroup for what you want. I don’t really know though. I do think it is interesting to think about though because I never thought of “my identities” as these in or out groups really I just kind of knew that they were part of me.
The difference between the definition of “out-group” and then the fact that you cannot actually always choose if you are excluded from a particular group, like you talked about, made these ideas a little confusing to me. I agree that there is definitely a more impersonal system that affects grouping than the definitions led me to think originally.
This take on the article specifically made me think of one’s religion. Supposedly, every American has the freedom to choose and practice whichever religion s/he wants to, or choose to refrain from practicing any religion. However, is this truly self-autonomy? How much of one’s religion is dictated by his or her parents or grandparents, and how much is truly what s/he believes and chooses to practice?