Me, us, them, and everybody
The various social sciences operate at different levels of analysis. They find different things, just like the earth looks different from an airplane than it does from a footpath, or through a microscope.
In order to understand human social behaviour we often need at least the three levels in this picture.
- the individual
- the group, nexus of we / they dynamics and morality
- all people, with their shared attributes, including capacity for culture - inevitably created during childhood.
Background reading
In 1995, Geert wrote an article "Multilevel research of human systems: flowers bouquets and gardens". This is still very good reading, especially for researchers who normally only work with individuals.