CURRENT ISSUES IN INTERGROUP RELATIONS Flashcards
(20 cards)
Intergroup Relations
Intergroup Dynamics:
The behaviours and psychological processes that occur between social groups
Intergroup Processes:
Examine how people perceive and interact with members of their own group (in-group) and other groups (out-group)
Intergroup Conflict:
Any disagreement or confrontation between the members of at least two different groups
EDI =
equity, diversity, inclusion
Meritocracy
A system where individuals are rewarded based on their skills, abilities, and achievements ― Rather than factors like background, connections, or privilege
Patriarchy
a social system where men hold primary power and dominance in areas like
politics, morality, and property control
White Fragility
the discomfort White people may experience in reaction to discussions about racism
Zero-sum
a situation in which whatever is gained by one side is lost by the other
▪ Thus, mutual gain is not possible
Zero-sum thinking/bias (John Dovidio)
–> a cognitive bias where individuals perceive interactions as inherently competitive
* Can lead to negative attitudes and hostility towards outgroups
Sasaki & Varauer (2013)
Multiculturalism and colourblindness represent distinct and often conflicting approaches to intergroup relations
Megathreats (Leigh & Melwani since 2019, in workplace contexts)
Negative, large-scale, diversity-related episodes that receive significant media attention
Anti-Racism Frameworks (e.g., Voices of First Nations Peoples report for AHRC)
Make actionable recommendations to reform systems, educate individuals, & ensure meaningful
representation
Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA)
a set of attitudes describing somebody who is highly submissive to their authority figures, acts aggressively in the name of said authorities, and is conformist in thought and behaviour
Human social systems are subject to counterbalancing influences of:
― Hierarchy-enhancing forces that produce and maintain ever higher levels of group-
based social inequality
― Hierarchy-attenuating forces that produce greater levels of group-based social equality
Social Dominance Orientation (SDO)
the general desire to establish and maintain hierarchically structured intergroup relations, regardless of the position of one’s own group(s) within this hierarchy
System Justification Theory (Jost)
people are motivated to defend, justify, and bolster the existing social, economic, and political
systems
System Justification Theory (Jost) CRITICISMS
Role of Identity
* SJT may incorrectly assume a distinct, irrational motive for justifying the status quo,
independent of self-interest or group identity
* Potential overlap with status quo bias
* People may not always resolve inconsistencies between their beliefs and actions by justifying the status quo
* Less empirical support for the system justification motive among disadvantaged groups
* Argues for reducing psychological distress through rationalization, however, this may overshadow the need for social change
* Theory may not generalize to diverse contexts (e.g., Global South)
Allport’s contact hypothesis
Direct contact between hostile groups will reduce intergroup prejudice under certain conditions (equal status, personal interaction, cooperation, authority support)
Forms of Intergroup Contact
- Vicarious Contact:
when individuals observe members of their ingroup interacting with outgroup members - Imagined Contact:
imagining a positive interaction with an outgroup member can lead to more positive
attitudes toward that group, even in the absence of real-life interactions - Parasocial Contact:
positive portrayals of minority groups in media can reduce prejudice - Computer-Mediated Contact: interactions between people from different social groups facilitated by technology
Positive vs Negative Contact (valence)
― Positive:
characterisedbycooperation,equalstatus,commongoals
― Negative:
experiences of discrimination, hostility, disrespect, etc.
