associatism

associatism means A self-regulatory movement in the 1920s in which community members assumed a duty of mutual obligation to support each other. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 71 out of 100.

Why “associatism” is a great word

ASSOCIATISM — [Noun] A doctrine or system of voluntary, community-based mutual obligation, or the theological belief in subordinate divine entities associated with a supreme deity. From associate (from Latin associatus, past participle of associare, "to join to") + -ism (a suffix forming nouns of action, system, or doctrine). Unlike collectivism, which implies a broad, often state-enforced subordination of the individual, or polytheism, which posits a pantheon of distinct sovereigns, associatism denotes a chosen lattice of lateral bonds or a hierarchy of sacred proximity. It is the neighbor sharing tools without being asked, the mutual aid society pooling coins in a parlor, and the veneration of saints as intercessors rather than gods—a testament that meaning is woven not from monolithic unity, but from a web of intimate, chosen connections.

Etymology

From associate + -ism.

noun

A self-regulatory movement in the 1920s in which community members assumed a duty of mutual obligation to support each other.
The worship of, or belief in, various entities associated with the divine.“Associatism can take the form of venerating trees or the tombs of saints, seeking holy men or soothsayers as intermediaries with God, or putting one's faith in astrology.”