Parochial
Origin
Middle English parochiall, from Anglo-French parochial, from Late Latin parochialis, from parochia parish
Definitions
- 1: of or relating to a church parish
- 2: of or relating to a parish as a unit of local government
- 3: confined or restricted as if within the borders of a parish : limited in range or scope (as to a narrow area or region) : provincial, narrow
Description
Parochialism means being provincial, being narrow in scope, or considering only small sections of an issue. It may, particularly when used pejoratively, be contrasted to universalism.
The term originates from the idea of a parish ([Late] Latin: parochia), one of the smaller divisions within many Christian churches such as the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches.
Use of the term
The term parochial can be applied in both culture and economics if a local culture or geographic area's government makes decisions based on solely local interests that do not take into account the effect of the decision on the broader community. The term may also be applied to decisions and events that are considered to be trivial in the grand scheme of things but that may be over-emphasized in a smaller community, such as disputes between neighbors.
