Chauvinism is extreme bias or allegiance to a cause or belief, often with hostility towards opposing groups. It was originally used in politics, but now also refers to attitudes. “Male chauvinism” is an aggressively sexist view held by some men. The term comes from a probably fictitious person named Nicolas Chauvin, who was elevated to legendary status. “Jingoism” is a similar term used in British English, which typically means strong political leanings that can include threats or violence towards other nations.
Chauvinism is, traditionally, a term used to refer to extreme bias or allegiance to a cause or belief often in the face of all reasonable or alternative viewpoints. The term was originally established in relation to political leanings or beliefs, but has since been used in conjunction with other ideas and attitudes. Chauvinism not only indicates loyalty or agreement with one group, but typically also indicates resentment or hostility towards opposing groups. The term has also been used frequently, since about the 1960s, by feminists to refer to “male chauvinism,” which is an often aggressively sexist view held by some men.
The term comes from the French word chauvinisme, which comes from a probably fictitious person named Nicolas Chauvin. Chauvin is said to have been a loyal soldier in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army and even after suffering numerous wounds and few rewards, he remained fiercely loyal to Bonaparte even after his defeat and the Restoration period of French history. While there is little historical documentation to support the existence of an actual person named Nicolas Chauvin, he was elevated to legendary status after being featured in numerous song and vaudeville acts.
Just as Chauvin has been used as a figure to represent an eternal and illogical bigotry towards his nation and its beliefs, the term chauvinism has then been used to represent someone with such views. In this sense, a “national chauvinist” would be someone who wholeheartedly believed in the value of their country, even at the expense of those who were citizens of another nation. A “chauvinist party” would be someone who holds firmly to the beliefs of a certain political party and angrily attacks anyone who supports a different party or holds different opinions.
The term “male chauvinist” came into popular use during the efforts of feminists and those on behalf of equal rights for men and women in the United States during the 20th century. Male chauvinism is generally used to refer to men who believe that men are superior to women, mentally, physically, or in any other way. The term has been used so often that many people have begun to associate “chauvinism” as a synonym for “male chauvinism” and often mistakenly assume that any chauvinistic view is inherently sexist or misogynistic.
Jingoism is a similar term, often used in British English though not unheard of in American dialects, which typically means strong political leanings which can include threats or violence towards other nations. This term has been used to describe a number of different countries over the years, typically those displaying aggressively expansionist or imperialist actions. While chauvinism and chauvinism can be used interchangeably, there is a tendency for chauvinism to more often indicate a potential use of force in support of political beliefs.
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