Island mentality

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/island-mentality

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary context?Sociological and cultural, describing group dynamics and perceptions of in-group versus out-group
2. What is the key driver?Social, cultural, or ideological isolation, not necessarily geographical
3. Why do people think their town is the best?When people talk mostly to each other and not to outsiders, they may believe their town is the only good one and that other places are not as good.
4. How can island mentality make it hard to try new things?It can make people feel scared or worried about new ideas, so they might not want to change or try something different.

Insularity: The quality of being isolated or<bos>narrow-minded; lacking contact with new or different ideas.
Xenophobia: Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.
In-group Bias: The tendency to favor one's own group over other groups.
Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.