Social Dominance Orientation Boosts Collective Action Among Low-Status Groups

We propose that low-status group members' support for group-based hierarchy and inequality (i.e., social dominance orientation; SDO) may represent an ideological strategy to guarantee the legitimacy of future ingroup status-enhancement. Specifically, we argue that, under unstable social structure conditions, SDO serves as an ideological justification for collective action tendencies aimed at competing for a higher status. In such context, SDO should be positively related with actions aimed to favor the ingroup (i.e., collective actions) by increasing group members' motivation to engage in direct competition with a relevant higher-status outgroup. We conducted two studies under highly competitive and unstable social structure contexts using real life groups. In Study 1 (N = 77), we induced Low vs. High Ingroup (University) Status and in Study 2 (N = 220) we used competing sports groups. Overall, results showed that, among members of low-status groups, SDO consistently increased individuals' motivation to get involved in actions favoring the ingroup, by boosting their motivation to compete with the opposing high-status outgroup. We discuss the results in light of the social dominance and collective action framework.

Social norms as possible causes of stillbirths

OBJECTIVE

High stillborn rates are a concern in developing countries. Hence, this article aims to describe the sociocultural norms contributing to the high number of stillbirths as perceived by mothers, significant others, midwives and records of the Pregnancy Problem Identification Programme (PPIP).

DESIGN & SETTING

A multimethod qualitative descriptive study was conducted in a district in the Free State, South Africa. Each of the five sub-districts has a district hospital where most pregnant women give birth. Eighty per cent of the community is black of which about a quarter live in poor conditions below the poverty line.

PARTICIPANTS

The first author conducted unstructured in-depth interviews with 36 mothers and their significant other who gave birth to a stillborn. She also extracted relevant data from the PPIP record of each mother. A skilled moderator conducted three focus group interviews with a convenience sample of midwives. The data were inductively analysed to identify subthemes under the central theme of social norms.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

The authors concluded that traditional practices, traditional role players (traditional healer, mother-in-law, partner), abuse, and prescriptive social norms might contribute to stillbirths. Pregnant women are oppressed as they adhere to traditional social norms and are unable to make independent, informed healthcare decisions. The midwives, who are mostly female, may find it difficult to empower pregnant women because they are under the same social oppression as their clients.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

It is imperative that healthcare providers consider social determinants of health, including social norms, when providing healthcare, especially to pregnant women as some social practices may have detrimental outcomes for the mother and/or baby.

Egalitarian men: stereotypes and discrimination in the labor market

This article aimed to analyze the stereotypes attributed to "egalitarian men", understood here as men who support gender equality in relation to domestic and family responsibilities as well as inclusion in the workforce. To do so, two studies were carried out. The first study investigated the attribution of stereotypes to egalitarian men through a single open question. A total of 250 university students participated in this study, of which 51.1% were male, and their average age was 21.5 years (SD = 4.39). The second study analyzed the attribution of stereotypes to egalitarian or traditional men and women in a work context considered masculine. Participants included 221 university students with a mean age of 21.9 years (SD = 4.19), the majority (54.3%) being male. Taken together, the results of the two studies indicate that the egalitarian man is perceived as fragile and possibly homosexual. On the other hand, he is also seen as being more competent than traditional men.

Norm violators as threats and opportunities: The many faces of deviance in groups

Group researchers have long been interested in how group members respond to deviance, defined as the violation of prescriptive norms about how members should think, feel, or act. Valuable perspectives on reaction to deviance have been offered by scholars in several disciplines, including social psychology, evolutionary psychology, and sociology. Most of the theoretical and empirical work on reaction to deviance assumes that this behavior has negative consequences for group welfare and hence elicits efforts designed to reduce or eliminate it, including the threat or use of punishment. However, there is increasing interest in the other side of the coin, namely cases in which deviance has positive consequences for group welfare and hence is tolerated or even celebrated. In addition, researchers are also devoting increased attention to the causes of deviance, that is, the reasons why some group members choose to violate prescriptive norms even though doing so may elicit punishment. The papers in this Special Issue, which investigate deviance in a wide range of situations, illustrate cutting-edge work on each of these themes.