Co-optation is when someone or something gets included in a group just to make it look like they're part of the team, even if they're not really working with everyone else.
Imagine you have a club at school where only the best players get to join. One day, the teacher lets in your friend Alex because he’s the brother of someone who already plays. But Alex doesn’t know how to play the game very well. The real members are confused, they didn’t want to be distracted by someone who wasn’t as good.
That's co-optation! It’s like getting a free ticket to the club, but you’re not really helping the team win the game.
What it feels like
Sometimes, co-optation makes people feel left out or even annoyed. They might think, "Why did they get in when I had to work harder?"
But sometimes, it can also help, if the new person turns out to be good later on!
So next time you see someone who seems a bit out of place in a group, maybe they were co-opted!
Examples
- A boss gives a new employee a promotion to keep them from organizing the others.
- A king lets a rebel leader join his court to stop future revolts.
- A teacher lets a popular student lead the class to avoid conflicts.
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See also
- How the trump administration co opts pop culture and religion for political gain?
- How Did the Roman Empire Stay So Powerful for So Long?
- What are social hierarchies?
- Why Do Political Parties Change Their Positions?
- Why Do Political Campaigns Use Bumper Stickers?