Collective Action & Social Change Flashcards
(32 cards)
Define social change.
Way in which society develops over time to replace beliefs, attitudes and behaviour with new norms and expectations.
Modification of existing societal order of society.
Social inequalities + discontent inherently related to social change.
What are the 4 different types of inequality?
Relative deprivation - perception of having less than oneself should have.
Distributive injustice - perception of having less than entitled to.
Procedural injustice - perception of being a victim of unfair laws, procedures.
Violation of important moral standards.
Define collective action.
Form of political protest.
Any action to improve status of an entire group.
Action that promotes interests of in-group or conducted in political solidarity.
Define the two different types of collective action.
Normative - conforms to norms of existing social system. E.g. protests.
Non-normative - violates norms. E.g. terrorism.
Action always done in favour of group - COLLECTIVE action.
What are the three main aspects of the social identity model of collective action (Van Zomeren)?
Injustice, identification and efficacy.
What other theory is the social identity model of collective action related to and how?
Social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner).
Person’s sense of who they are based on group membership. Group = source of pride, sense of belonging.
In-group seeks to find negative aspects of out-group to enhance their self-image.
Explain how injustice plays a role in collective action (Van Zomeren).
Bernburg - financial loss predicts protest participation (but only if individual sees their loss as greater than others).
Left-wing political attitude + belief in extensive corruption predicts protest participation + support.
Protest likelihood positively correlated to economic loss.
Van Zomeren - relative deprivation + likelihood of voting and protest participation in Kenya.
Explain how identification plays a role in collective action (Van Zomeren).
Stuermer & Simon - 400 gay pps in gay movement.
Identification with a formal social movement predicted participation in collective action.
Other study - feminist identification and feminist collective action.
Explain how efficacy plays a role in collective action (Van Zomeren).
Martin, Brickman & Murray - 90 female workers, large; moderate or small inequality condition. Collective action intentions strongest when there efficacy levels highest.
Other studies - increased efficacy = more protests.
Explain how morality and emotions play a role in collective action (additions to Van Zomeren model).
Morality - zero tolerance, context independent - violation of individual’s moral standards.
Emotions - cognitive appraisal of environment leads to experience of emotion - leads individuals towards actions. ALL aspects of the model can be linked to emotional components.
Explain some studies + results that show evidence for emotions role in collective action.
Cohen-Chen - hope and efficacy. Group efficacy induced collective action intentions when hope was high. Hope low = group efficacy had no effect on collective action.
Hope is a MODERATOR for efficacy.
Tausch - anger and contempt. Anger = normative collective action. Contempt = non-normative collective action.
Explain how solidarity plays a role in collective action (addition to the Van Zomeren model).
Any action aiming to improve the status of an entire group rather than of a few individuals in that group.
Action that promotes the interests of one’s in-group or is conducted in political solidarity.
What are the two main barriers to collective action? Explain them.
Socio-structural barriers - favourable political opportunity structure.
Psychological barriers - perceived stability. Legitimacy of social arrangements. Individual upward mobility (leaving group), social creativity, alternative affective loyalties.
What is the contact hypothesis?
Allport.
In order to improve intergroup relations, simple contact is nut sufficient - must be optimal.
What’s needed for optimal contact?
Equal status contact, co-operative interaction, common goals, support of authorities.
Explain what Pettigrew & Tropp showed about intergroup contact.
Reduces intergroup prejudice.
Works even better when Allport’s optical contact conditions are met.
How does the contact hypothesis work?
Expectations of rejection + fears about interaction create anxiety.
Anxiety decreases likelihood of contact. Contact decreases intergroup anxiety.
Contact changes perception of out-group. Challenges out-group homogeneity effect. Allows individuals to know out-group better.
Reduces both affective + cognitive forms of prejudice.
What are the 4 main forms of contact?
Direct, computer-mediated, extended, imagined.
Explain Herek & Capitanio’s study into direct contact.
Attitudes towards gay men + one year later.
Heterosexuals reporting interpersonal contact = more positive attitudes. Findings replicated a year later.
Moderators: contact, number of relationships, closeness of relationships. All have a positive effect.
Name some strengths and weaknesses of direct contact.
Strengths: personal experience, can be communicated to others, emotions + beliefs experienced as an active participant.
Weaknesses: has to be positive to induce prejudice reactions, not always positive.
Explain Schumann and Klein’s study into computer-mediated contact.
Synchronous text-chat with out-group members + confederate.
CMC reduce negative out-group member’s anonymity + decreased perceived social presence, therefore, less positive evaluations + higher prejudice.
What is extended contact and what effects does it have on attitudes?
Seeing an in-group member interacting positively with an out-group member. Vicarious experiences. Actual experience not necessary.
More positive attitudes towards out-groups.
Name some strengths and weaknesses of extended contact.
Strengths: can effect many individuals, contact in mass media, social learning, allows for future contact.
Weaknesses: less strong, subject to individual differences, works better if the in-group member contacting the out-group is close.
What is imagined contact?
Mental simulation of social interaction. Actual experience not necessary.
Less opportunity for contact.
