The Grid-Group Cultural Theory (also known as the Cultural Theory of Risk) originated from the studies of anthropologist Mary Douglas and political scientist Aaron Wildavsky. Grid and Group are two dimensions of sociality, each with a low and high value: Grid measures the differentiation between people (so low grid means people are similar), and Group measures the cohesion or social bonds between people (so low group means people do not have strong bonds).
From Wikipedia:
A “high group” way of life exhibits a high degree of collective control, whereas a “low group” one exhibits a much lower one and a resulting emphasis on individual self-sufficiency. A “high grid” way of life is characterized by conspicuous and durable forms of stratification in roles and authority, whereas a “low grid” one reflects a more egalitarian ordering.
And so:
- Individualist: Low group and low grid, Nature is robust
- Fatalist: Low group and high grid, Nature is capricious
- Hierarchist: High group and high grid, Nature is tolerant
- Egalitarian: High group and low grid, Nature is fragile
| High Grid |
Low Grid |
|
| High Group |
Hierarchist (Positional) |
Egalitarian (Enclaves) |
| Low Group |
Fatalist (Isolates) |
Individualist (Markets) |
Further Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Theory_of_risk
http://changingminds.org/explanations/culture/grid-group_culture.htm
[*4.86, *8.112, *11.4, *11.5]
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Equivalent Exchange 
No one calls themselves a fatalist. They call themselves realists. They go to work or church and do what they are told. They are not part of the clerical or management hierarchy. They are academics who are not tenure track or maybe even in track with no tenure. They are not market individualists. They have nothing to sell but their labor power. They think egalitarians are weird (the woke and the MAGA). They don’t want to join.
In other words, most people. Yes, they are passive. They are also the consumers of both cultures and stuff. If you don’t cater to what they want, you really don’t exist outside your own bubble.
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