By demokaraasi, the people of the Wolof community understand the general conformity and unification of the members in a common desire to strive for good and reject bad. Demokaraasi means changing one’s vote and adapting political votes to the desire of the majority (Schaffer, 2018). Since the Wolof community is a society with a high level of collectivism, the phenomenon of demokaraasi is not intended as a violation of individual rights to express freedom of political views.
The traditional behavior observed in the Wolof community can also be applied to countries where there is democracy in the traditional sense. Schaffer (2018) states that demokaraasi is not very different from democracy. In the case of the expression of political views, some people will, in any case, be more willing to vote for a candidate who is supported by the majority of society. This rule also applies in other areas, such as when people with different views come together to make society better, for example, during activist movements.
Schaffer learns about the characteristics of the demokaraasi by studying the political structure of Senegal and talking to indigenous people who have observed traditional voter behavior over the years. Schaffer (2018) concludes that the main difference between democracy and demokaraasi lies in the origins. Easy submission to the views of the majority is the result of a common religious soil, worship of one God, and common prayer (Schaffer, 2018). At the same time, democracy is a more individualistic phenomenon, while demokaraasi affects the entire stratum of society, mainly leaning towards stability and the protection of material rights.
Free expression of will and change of vote in support of group solidarity are compatible since a person is easily persuaded to act for the common good. Changing the vote under the influence of the majority is not always a conscious behavior, especially if this action is based on a noble motive. People obey trends because of the desire to share a feeling of the community (Schaffer, 2018). People raised in a collectivist culture may succumb to the opinion of the majority intuitively, without thinking that their desire to vote for another candidate is not dictated by personal beliefs.
Reference
Schaffer, F. C. (2018). Democracy in translation: Understanding politics in an unfamiliar culture. Cornell University Press.