Conservative people are those who, in short, assume that until proven otherwise, tradition dictates what rules to follow in a society. However, neither his interpretation of reality involves such literal statements, nor does this idea serve to detect conservatism where it lives, something useful to understand the way of being of individuals and groups.
In this article we will focus on the characteristics of conservative people
Each country and culture harbors a different type of conservatism, so it is important to keep in mind that conservative people are conservative based on various nuances.
However, there are a number of typical characteristics that are usually a good indicator of whether traditions are relevant to someone. Let’s see them.
1. Essentialist view of things
Conservative people tend to believe in essences, that is, in the idea that all things, animals, landscapes and people have an immaterial element that gives them identity.
From this perspective, there is no need to argue why certain things should continue to exist as they did until now, since betting on the opposite option would be going against the essences. This is usually reflected in the way they use language and, specifically, in his appeals to what is “natural” and “unnatural” expressions that mean nothing beyond expressing opposition to a recent reform or alteration of something (examples: laws in favor of marriage for people of the same sex, appearance of new technologies, etc.).
For sociological reasons, in countries with Western tradition, conservative people defend a model of coexistence based on the nuclear family, that is, one that is made up of a husband, wife, and sons and daughters. The reason is that, from this way of seeing things, it is the most balanced way of transmit the culture that must be inherited by future generations although there is no evidence that this is the case.
3. Defense of gender roles
Another characteristic of conservative people is that they oppose any measure that promotes gender equality from a collectivist perspective, that is, from institutions and associations. The reason is partly the essentialism that we saw in the previous point, and partly the rejection of the possibility of their customs being questioned.
Thus, it is assumed that Women have a role in managing family resources as well as upbringing and reproduction, while the man must have the material and financial power of the family.
On the other hand, homophobia is common among conservative people, ranging from extremes in which people are attacked for their sexuality, to the defense that homosexuals should not be attacked but should have fewer rights (adoption, kisses in public, etc.).
4. Respect for ancestors
Respect for ancestors is the backbone of the concept of people or nation that provides a good part of the identity of conservative people. This means that You are born with certain responsibilities and obligations not only with the rest of our fellow citizens, but also with those who have long since died but are connected to us by family ties.
Conservative people, even those who are not religiously observant, defend the idea that the morality of society emanates from religion and that it is good that this is so. That means it is assumed that believers in other religions or atheists do not have the same ability to discriminate between good and evil.
6. Nationalism
Nationalism is the idea that there is an inseparable union between a people and a specific territory, and that everything that threatens this union must be fought. This, which is also a consequence of typically conservative essentialism, means that everything that is considered “foreign” is only tolerated up to certain limits for the simple fact of being so, on the one hand, and that attempts are made to suppress the customs of minorities belonging to cultures that have historically lived within the limits of what is considered “a single nation.”
7. Defense of willpower
In conservatism it is very common to assume that things happen due to the presence or absence of willpower, whether individual or collective. Therefore, the interpretation of reality responds more to what is believed to be legitimate than to what is believed that, put into practice, can work, since it is assumed that if enough people want something, it will inevitably happen..
This is an idea that appears at attribute human characteristics to society as if intentions and desires were in themselves what makes social phenomena advance.
