- Co-option
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A co-opting or less frequently co-optation most commonly refers to action performed in a number of fields whereby an opponent is nullified or neutralized by absorption but there are other distinct senses as well.
Co-optation may also refer to the tactic of neutralizing or winning over a minority by assimilating them into the established group or culture.[1]
The term may refer to an election in which members of a committee (or similar group) vote in order to fill a vacancy on that committee or group. Where a small committee is originally elected using a method of proportional representation, a co-option may be thought unsuitable as the newly elected member will then not necessarily represent the interests of the group represented by the vacating member.
Other disciplines
- In evolutionary biology, co-option or exaptation refers to the shift in function of an adaptation.
- In sociology, co-option refers to a trend or idea being incorporated into mainstream culture; see also Cultural appropriation.
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