REJECTING MINORITIES
SUMMARIES OF THE LITERATURE
Inhoudsopgave
WEEK 1: Introducton and start theories: Social Identtt Theort.......................................................2
WEEK 2: Theories: Realistc Confict Theort.......................................................................................4
WEEK 3: Theories: Contact Theort.....................................................................................................6
WEEK 4: Theories: Social Dominance Orientaton and Right-Wing Authoritarianism.........................8
WEEK 5: Integrated Threat Theort and Socializaton Theort...........................................................10
WEEK 6: Measuring prejudice..........................................................................................................12
WEEK 7: Politcal controversies and right-wing votng.....................................................................14
WEEK 8: Discriminaton on the labor market...................................................................................17
WEEK 9: Nostalgia and contact interventons..................................................................................19
1
,WEEK 1: Introduction and start theories: Social Identity
Theory
TAYLOR, D.M. & M OGHADDAM , F.M. (1987). T HEORIES OF INTERGROUP RELATIONS . WESTPORT:
PRAEGER. PP. 59- 84.
Social identiy iheory iemps io explain iniergroup relatons from a group perspectiee Social identiy:
ihai pari of an indiiidual’s self-concepi which deriies from his knowledge of his membership of a
social group (or groups) iogeiher wiih ihe ialue and emotonal signifcance atached io ihai
membershipe Assumpton: indiiiduals are motiaied io mainiain or achieie a positie self-identiye
The iheory atempis io deal wiih ihe whole range of responses ihai disadianiaged group members
mighi make in irying io improie iheir indiiidual and group positonse
When people are grouping oiher people, ialues and norms infuence iheir choices and second, when
ihe person making choices is identfed wiih one of ihe groups, his or her own siaius is afecied by
ihe ouicomes of ihe groupingse
When subjecis had ihe chance io aci in ierms of group membership, ihey deieloped some leiel of
loyaliy io ihe in-group; ihis meani ihey were prepared io make sacrifces and modify iheir bias
ioward ihe self in order io reward ihe whole groupe
Four major concepis deieloped oui of ihe minimal group experimenis:
1e Social caiegorizaton: ihe segmeniaton of ihe world so as io impose an order on ihe
eniironmeni and proiide a locus of identfcaton for ihe selfe
2e Social identiy: ihai pari of ihe indiiidual’s self-concepi which deriies from knowledge of his
or her membership in a social group, iogeiher wiih ihe ialue and emotonal signifcance
atached io ihai membershipe
3e Social comparison: ihe process ihrough which characieristcs of ihe in-group are compared
io ihose of ihe oui-groupe
4e Psychological group distnctieness: assumed io be ihe siaie desired by indiiiduals in which
ihe in-group has an identiy ihai is perceiied by ihe group members as boih distnci and
positie iis-ài-iis releiani comparison groupse
According io social identiy iheory: indiiiduals are motiaied io belong io positiely eialuaied
groupse This exiension opens ihe way io exploratons of possible behaiioral siraiegies ihai mighi be
adopied when an indiiidual perceiies his or her social identiy as inadequaiee The social comparison
process is seen as ihe means ihrough which ihe indiiidual obiains an assessmeni of his or her
group’s social positon and siaiuse Unless members of disadianiaged groups are ware of cognitie
aliernaties, ihey will noi atempi io aci upon iheir dissatsfactons and change iheir iniergroup
siiuaton:
- Firsi, a group may atempi io be absorbed inio ihe dominani groupe This siraiegy requires
fundamenial culiural and psychological change io become successfule
- A second siraiegy mighi be io redefne ihe preiiously negatiely eialuaied characieristc of
ihe group, so ihai is is noi positiely eialuaied (for insiance, “Black is beautfull)e
2
, - A ihird siraiegy iniolies ihe creaton and adopton of new dimensions for iniergroup
comparison and eialuaton – dimensions ihai haie noi preiiously been used and on ihe bais
of which ihe group has a greaier chance of defning iiself more positielye
- The fourih siraiegy iniolies direci competton wiih ihe dominani groupe Thai is, a
negatiely eialuaied group mighi direcily challenge ihe positon of ihe relatiely positiely
eialuaied group or dominani group in ihe siaius hierarchye This siraiegy is mosi likely io
lead io direci conficis and clashese
All four siraiegies will lead io dominani group(s) members reactng and adoptng siraiegies io
mainiain or increase iheir dominancee
When members of disadianiaged groups do noi perceiie cognitie aliernaties io ihe preseni
iniergroup positons, ihey will do noihing io change iheir group siiuaton, bui may well adopi
indiiidualistc siraiegies io improie iheir indiiidualistc positonse
- An indiiidual may atempi io exii from ihe disadianiaged group and join a more positiely
eialuaied groupe This is ihe siraiegy of social mobiliiy, bui ii is aiailable only when ihe group
is an open one and exii is aiailable as an optone
- If exii is noi possible (for insiance because one cannoi change iheir skin color), ihe indiiidual
may compare himself io oiher wiihin his or her own groupe This form of inierpersonal
iniragroup comparison is less likely io lead io unfaiorable eialuaton of ihe indiiiduale
3
SUMMARIES OF THE LITERATURE
Inhoudsopgave
WEEK 1: Introducton and start theories: Social Identtt Theort.......................................................2
WEEK 2: Theories: Realistc Confict Theort.......................................................................................4
WEEK 3: Theories: Contact Theort.....................................................................................................6
WEEK 4: Theories: Social Dominance Orientaton and Right-Wing Authoritarianism.........................8
WEEK 5: Integrated Threat Theort and Socializaton Theort...........................................................10
WEEK 6: Measuring prejudice..........................................................................................................12
WEEK 7: Politcal controversies and right-wing votng.....................................................................14
WEEK 8: Discriminaton on the labor market...................................................................................17
WEEK 9: Nostalgia and contact interventons..................................................................................19
1
,WEEK 1: Introduction and start theories: Social Identity
Theory
TAYLOR, D.M. & M OGHADDAM , F.M. (1987). T HEORIES OF INTERGROUP RELATIONS . WESTPORT:
PRAEGER. PP. 59- 84.
Social identiy iheory iemps io explain iniergroup relatons from a group perspectiee Social identiy:
ihai pari of an indiiidual’s self-concepi which deriies from his knowledge of his membership of a
social group (or groups) iogeiher wiih ihe ialue and emotonal signifcance atached io ihai
membershipe Assumpton: indiiiduals are motiaied io mainiain or achieie a positie self-identiye
The iheory atempis io deal wiih ihe whole range of responses ihai disadianiaged group members
mighi make in irying io improie iheir indiiidual and group positonse
When people are grouping oiher people, ialues and norms infuence iheir choices and second, when
ihe person making choices is identfed wiih one of ihe groups, his or her own siaius is afecied by
ihe ouicomes of ihe groupingse
When subjecis had ihe chance io aci in ierms of group membership, ihey deieloped some leiel of
loyaliy io ihe in-group; ihis meani ihey were prepared io make sacrifces and modify iheir bias
ioward ihe self in order io reward ihe whole groupe
Four major concepis deieloped oui of ihe minimal group experimenis:
1e Social caiegorizaton: ihe segmeniaton of ihe world so as io impose an order on ihe
eniironmeni and proiide a locus of identfcaton for ihe selfe
2e Social identiy: ihai pari of ihe indiiidual’s self-concepi which deriies from knowledge of his
or her membership in a social group, iogeiher wiih ihe ialue and emotonal signifcance
atached io ihai membershipe
3e Social comparison: ihe process ihrough which characieristcs of ihe in-group are compared
io ihose of ihe oui-groupe
4e Psychological group distnctieness: assumed io be ihe siaie desired by indiiiduals in which
ihe in-group has an identiy ihai is perceiied by ihe group members as boih distnci and
positie iis-ài-iis releiani comparison groupse
According io social identiy iheory: indiiiduals are motiaied io belong io positiely eialuaied
groupse This exiension opens ihe way io exploratons of possible behaiioral siraiegies ihai mighi be
adopied when an indiiidual perceiies his or her social identiy as inadequaiee The social comparison
process is seen as ihe means ihrough which ihe indiiidual obiains an assessmeni of his or her
group’s social positon and siaiuse Unless members of disadianiaged groups are ware of cognitie
aliernaties, ihey will noi atempi io aci upon iheir dissatsfactons and change iheir iniergroup
siiuaton:
- Firsi, a group may atempi io be absorbed inio ihe dominani groupe This siraiegy requires
fundamenial culiural and psychological change io become successfule
- A second siraiegy mighi be io redefne ihe preiiously negatiely eialuaied characieristc of
ihe group, so ihai is is noi positiely eialuaied (for insiance, “Black is beautfull)e
2
, - A ihird siraiegy iniolies ihe creaton and adopton of new dimensions for iniergroup
comparison and eialuaton – dimensions ihai haie noi preiiously been used and on ihe bais
of which ihe group has a greaier chance of defning iiself more positielye
- The fourih siraiegy iniolies direci competton wiih ihe dominani groupe Thai is, a
negatiely eialuaied group mighi direcily challenge ihe positon of ihe relatiely positiely
eialuaied group or dominani group in ihe siaius hierarchye This siraiegy is mosi likely io
lead io direci conficis and clashese
All four siraiegies will lead io dominani group(s) members reactng and adoptng siraiegies io
mainiain or increase iheir dominancee
When members of disadianiaged groups do noi perceiie cognitie aliernaties io ihe preseni
iniergroup positons, ihey will do noihing io change iheir group siiuaton, bui may well adopi
indiiidualistc siraiegies io improie iheir indiiidualistc positonse
- An indiiidual may atempi io exii from ihe disadianiaged group and join a more positiely
eialuaied groupe This is ihe siraiegy of social mobiliiy, bui ii is aiailable only when ihe group
is an open one and exii is aiailable as an optone
- If exii is noi possible (for insiance because one cannoi change iheir skin color), ihe indiiidual
may compare himself io oiher wiihin his or her own groupe This form of inierpersonal
iniragroup comparison is less likely io lead io unfaiorable eialuaton of ihe indiiiduale
3
