From Latin collectivus, collective is that belonging or relative to a group of individuals . A collective is a social grouping where its members share certain characteristics or work together for the fulfillment of a common objective.
Typically, the collective makes decisions based on consensus and tries to exercise their social and political power. However, there is also talk of a group to name the group formed by people with various motivations and grouped only by living in a common space.
For example: “Equal marriage is a measure that promotes the rights of the homosexual collective”, "The population Gypsy is one of the most persecuted and discriminated groups in the European continent ”, “The group of war veterans still demands greater support from the State”.
Collectives and discrimination
Every day the news shows us acts of contempt aimed at various groups, such as gypsies, homosexuals and Africans, in various parts of the world. The concept of discrimination is linked to that of collective since ancient times, and the attacks are based on the simple fact of not accepting differences.
In Europe, for example, the communities Gypsies and people from Africa are the focus of the highest percentage of discrimination, according to a study by the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union. The same report warns that groups of easy distinction, given certain characteristics of the physical appearance of their members, feel contempt more often than other minorities.
This is also true for immigrants from Eastern countries such as China and Japan, objects of numerous teasing for their appearance physical and by his way of expressing himself. For discrimination there are no limits or preferences, no matter the level of academic training or purchasing power; People from various parts of the world and from different social classes are attacked mercilessly, simply because they are in a country where most people are not like them.
The homosexuals they must also withstand all kinds of insults and ill-treatment, even when they are in environments supposedly open to diversity. Despite the linguistic differences between the United States and Argentina, for example, both countries have found a way to give the adjective "homosexual", and its variants, a negative character, and use it to attack other people, regardless of their sexuality, as well as to denote the poor quality of a product (a gay song, in a context of hostility, means a bad song).
This situation is alarming for those who are forced to face it on a daily basis, whether for economic reasons or for not having the option of moving to a place with greater tolerance. Unfortunately, discrimination often leads many to hide their true identity, as with homosexuals who deny their sexuality; But many of these people do not have the option of hiding and, given the lack of support and protection from the authorities, they must accept contempt as a form of communication.
Other meanings
For the grammar , a collective noun It is a term that, in the singular, allows to express a grouping of similar objects, people or animals. In this way, they differ from individual nouns: "Fish" it is an individual noun while "shoal" It is a collective noun that refers to a group of fish. Similarly, "flock" It is the collective noun that names a group of birds.
In Argentina , Bolivia , Paraguay and other countries, collective is synonymous with bus . It is a land vehicle that allows transport to many passengers (between ten and one hundred) through a pre-established route: "Excuse me, could you tell me which bus takes me to Plaza de Mayo?", “I was late because I had to wait for the bus more than half an hour”.
