2) The Bonding

Get Together!

• to bring people together
• to keep a group connected
• to build pride within the group:

UNITY / LOYALTY / QUALITY

Bonding Action - Verbs:

join, belong
support,give, favor, donate
back, aid, boost, help
enlist, subscribe, commit
keep, send
stand up for, endorse, demonstrate

Intensification of similarities and downplay of differences --> first person plural pronouns (we, our, us) instead of I, me, mine

• suggests strength in numbers

• "words of unity": alliance, associate, belong, brotherhood, coalition, colleague, common, fraternity, harmony, partner, share, solidarity, together
  • each person belongs to countless groups: male, female, child, adult, black, white, college student, Catholic, Protestant etc.

  • partisanship varies from active involvement to passive acceptance --> appeals to individuals: we need you..., we want you..., we are dependend on you...

• "words of loyalty": allegiance, authority, commitment, devotion, faith, guidance, honor, leadership, obedience, promise, trustworthy, vow <--->

those words stand in contrast to "attack words" such as disloyal, treacherous, disobedient etc which are used to describe undesirable qualities

• Loyalty emphasizes the concept of duty and obligation to a group by using public vows or promises:
  • "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all."

• Loyalty involves the acceptance of leadership and authority by its members. This often refers to one person as the leader
  • "Lenin lived, Lenin lives, Lenin will live"

• Bonding requires absolute loyalty to the group, the group stands above the individual. Criticism and disobedience are often not accepted.

• "words for quality": best, champion, choice, extraordinary, fantastic, first-class, perfect, supreme, superb, superior, victory, winner <---> "attack words": poor, bad, inferior

• "Conditioning propaganda": stresses the importance of keeping the group together through
  • appeals to pride within the group by superlatives such as "We are Number One", "This grand and glorious flag".

  • organized group activities such as demonstrations, marching, sport events as well as wearing of uniforms supports the process of bonding

  • Propaganda movies use scenes of friendship and harmony within a group (such as drinking together etc.)

  • "Be prepared" for a quick response in case of emergency <--> The Threat; Watch out! --> keep the group bonded