The concept of "chauvinism" arose in the middle of the 19th century in France. The word itself was formed on behalf of an old soldier of the Napoleonic guard, a semi-legendary personality - Nicolas Chauvin de Rochefort, who became the hero of more than one vaudeville. Chauvin, as they say
some historians, as a young man went to serve in the imperial army, was wounded seventeen times and did not amass much we alth in his entire life. However, until the end of his days, he idolized Napoleon and did not hesitate to express it out loud ingenuously, which won popularity and ridicule not only among the military, but also among the civilian population. The old soldier Chauvin was so patriotic that instead of a sheet he spread the tricolor imperial banner and slept on it.
Such is the history of the term. However, there is still no clear opinion about what chauvinism is - the wording is too vague. Some say that this is an extreme degree of nationalism, others - an aggressive misanthropic ideology, others - a kind of racism. However, the analogy with nationalism is not entirely correct. First you need to understand what chauvinism is, what goals does it serve?
According to historians, chauvinism is not an ideology, because there is no clear systematization, rigidattitudes, specific means to an end, and claims to scientific value. Chauvinism is an emotional component that characterizes the atmosphere of intolerance in society, in contrast to
nationalism. The roots of the emergence of these two ideological currents are also different: the latter, as a rule, originates in an oppressed nation and manifests itself in the requirements for observing national interests, in striving for the development of one's people, that is, it carries a positive connotation. Chauvinism, on the other hand, is the prerogative of the ruling nation and manifests itself in contempt for all other peoples, in the desire to suppress or even physically destroy small assimilations.
Chauvinism is especially dangerous when it becomes the official policy of the state, that is, it is backed up and justified legally. More recently, in the 1930s and 1940s, humanity has witnessed what a political system based on an extreme form of chauvinism, Nazism, brought with it. In our country, this term has become well known thanks to the Social Democrats, who zealously fought against
great power chauvinism and built a new international society.
So, we figured out what chauvinism is on a nationwide scale. However, this word is also used to define social stereotypes. For example, there is male and female chauvinism - two varieties of sexism. Each of them is characterized by the fact that gender discrimination occurs, the opposite sex is declared incapable of anything and in everythingguilty, his rights - insignificant or non-existent. Probably, it is not necessary to explain what male chauvinism is. Throughout history, in many cultures, the predominance of the stronger sex in all areas of life was considered the norm, but the emergence of feminism and women's desire for equality marked the beginning of criticism of this state of affairs. Female chauvinism is less common and in milder forms due to physiology and character traits - at the verbal level.
