Localism

richardjallen

Does the word localism stir any thoughts/feelings with anyone?

Crapaud

Smallmindedness! Presumably it's like NIMBYism.

Er.. why do you ask? Have you been accused of 'localism' and I've just put my foot in it? Is 'localism' a real word - I can't be bothered checking at this time of night.

richardjallen

Crapaud wrote:

Smallmindedness! Presumably it's like NIMBYism.

Er.. why do you ask? Have you been accused of 'localism' and I've just put my foot in it? Is 'localism' a real word - I can't be bothered checking at this time of night.

No I have not been accused of it. I'm not sure if its a word either. I see it as small mindedness as well. What I mean is discrimination. By that I mean a person who moves to a new town and is not 'a local'.

Just wondered if it bothered other people as well.

Crapaud

I see. A kind of 'Royston Vaseyism'. This is a local shop for local people, there's nothing for you here!

I've only encountered this kind if thing when on ned's 'turf'. Yes it would bother me - I don't like any form of intolerance or tribalism. Or in the case of neds: red-neck yokley tw@ism.

passout

I thought 'isms meant that you don't like a group. You obviously hate all locals - damn outsider. Go home!

Crapaud

According to 'Practical English Useage' -ism means belief or practice eg. communism, impressionism.

Therefore 'localism would be a belief that local things are not for use by outsiders.

passout

I bow to to your research skills...

Of course we are assuming that the person who used this phrase knew what it meant. Unless you ask them, you'll never know for certain.

On reflection it does probably mean that you are parochial and possibly infers that you small minded. Let's hope that they were wrong!

Crapaud

passout wrote:
I bow to to your research skills...

Thank you! You may get up now.

passout wrote:
Of course we are assuming that the person who used this phrase knew what it meant. Unless you ask them, you'll never know for certain.

No context has been given - see OP.

Turns out that it's a real word:

Localism the state of being local: affection for place: provincialism

richardjallen

By localism I meant someone who is narrow minded, has a distrust of people that are not from their own cultural group. Which in this case centres on their place of origin. When I say place of origin I mean more where they reside and have roots.
Hence I think cultural group is a good description. I think of it as similar to racism only it affects more people because the cultural group is smaller, i.e. there are more people on the outside of the cultural group.

People with this distrust will seek to affirm their beliefs with others from their cultural group and keep people they distrust on the outside of their group. Of course people outside the group are discriminated against.

Crapaud - The definition you have found gives a positive slant to the word but I mean it in a negative sense.

Fab Foodie

2 Local things I REALLY REALLY HATE :twisted: :twisted:

Local Radio
Local Newspapers

I recall that there was advice recently from the Government regarding what to do in case of a major terrorist attack, they reckoned we should board ourselves inside our houses and listen to local radio...WTF????
I'd rather stay outside and be burnt in the backdraft than be forced to listen to local radio in a locked room...

I feel better now.

Anyway, isn't local the new global?

passout

I thought national was the new local and global was the new national?

richardjallen

Something that just occurred to me.

1. By localism I think I mean xenophobia. At least localists are certainly xenophobes. People who I think essentially don't like newcomers taking what they see as their birth-right patch/resource/women/employment etc etc..

2. A town needs employment. Towns without employment crumble and shrink. Employers require a workforce with suitable skills. Those skills can come from anywhere. A town that closes its doors to skilled people just because they were not 'born inbred'. Is a town that is heading down!

Example. Portsmouth vs Reading. Both places I have lived but I don't recall any xenophobia to speak of in Reading, they can have the crop of the worlds best there. I recall Reading being a prosperous town that is a centre of UK IT. Portsmouth, another centre of UK IT with IBM for instance. I think overall not up there with Reading. Although I enjoyed the place I still experienced mindless xenophobia at the University where 'you just can upset the locals' even if they are plain wrong and believe 2+2 = 5.

When explained like this its just so obvious to see that being privileged just because you were 'born inbred' is such nonsense. A town needs the right people whether they originated there or not otherwise what's there to attract employers? Only manual labour which can be done cheaper overseas.