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25
Mar 24

The Crucial Role of Intersectionality (Lesson 11)

The concept of intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 that is frequently discussed in women’s and gender studies, offers a lens through which we can examine and understand the multifaceted experiences of individuals at the crossroads of various social identities. This framework is particularly relevant in the realm of applied social psychology, especially when considering the core values of community psychology. Among these values, respect for diversity stands out, emphasizing the significance of acknowledging and valuing the differences among individuals, their worldviews, and social arrangements (Gruman et al., 2016, pp. 334).

Colorful, intersecting bubbles each with a word describing a different identity inside.

Applying this intersectional lens within community psychology, we can better appreciate how gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability status, and social class simultaneously influence an individual’s experiences. This approach not only enriches our understanding about the complexities of identity; it also underscores the importance of recognizing the diverse ways people experience power, privilege, and oppression. For example, the work of organizations like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), highlighted in this week’s chapter, illustrates the practical application of intersectionality within community psychology. By addressing the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth from various racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, the HRC’s initiatives exemplify how intersecting identities necessitate informed approaches to support and advocacy (Gruman et al., 2016, pp. 322). Currently, HRC is impacting communities in a variety of ways: mobilizing voters, educating the public about LGBTQ+ issues, advancing policies and litigation that are pro-equality, and fighting for basic freedoms and rights denied to LGBTQ+ citizens in 28 U.S. states (Human Rights Campaign, 2024).

Community psychology’s commitment to social justice is inherently connected to valuing diversity and intersectionality. Recognizing that we do not all begin on a “level playing field” serves as the initial step in identifying and addressing the disparities stemming from historical discrimination and the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities. However, in the spirit of Crenshaw’s foundational work, it’s crucial to recognize that people’s identities and experiences cannot be neatly separated into individual categories (Crenshaw, 1989). Instead, our identities intersect in ways that profoundly affect our lives, shaping our access to resources, our experiences with discrimination, and our interactions with societal structures of power. By embracing an intersectional approach, community psychology not only furthers its own goals of fostering inclusivity and equity but also contributes to a broader societal shift towards greater recognition and validation of diverse experiences and identities. The integration of intersectionality into community psychology offers a comprehensive framework for understanding the complexities of human identity and experience. It challenges us to consider the myriad ways in which societal structures and categories intersect, influencing individuals’ lives and well-being.

-Laura Gamble

References

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory, and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989 (1), Article 8. http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8

Gruman, J. A., et al. (Eds.). (2016). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. SAGE Publications, Incorporated. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Human Rights Campaign. (2024). Human Rights Campaign: Our Work. Retrieved from https://www.hrc.org/our-work.

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15
Feb 22

Diversity Among Us

Take a moment and observe the people around you. They probably look, think, and behave differently. However, diversity extends beyond one’s outer appearance. It arises from ethnicity, religion, social class, and sexual orientation (Gruman et al., 2017, p.384). These differences make us who we are.

Although diversity fosters creativity and new perspectives, it has its consequences. This happens when we are not willing to accept the differences of others. We develop negative attitudes, or become prejudiced, towards a social group. Oftentimes we learn these attitudes from family members and are exposed to them at a young age. This might make it difficult to change one’s beliefs. However, this is not an excuse to treat others poorly. When we act on these negative attitudes, we discriminate towards a group or its members based upon their categorization (PSU, 2022, L06).

Our society has constructed social norms that are guidelines for how individuals are expected to exist and behave. Failure to abide by these rules and adhere to these expectations leads to social inequality for the minority non-conformists.  One of the existing factors that determines one’s position in society is their sexual orientation. In contemporary society, heterosexuality is considered the accepted norm, especially considering its roots in religious history. Members of the LGBTQ community are targeted and victimized by individuals from the dominant majority group. They face prejudice and discrimination in large institutional practices such as law enforcement, the military, churches, and the workforce. For example, presidents over the last twenty years have differing positions on the acceptance of gay and transgender individuals in the United States Military. According to Gruman et al. (2017), “there is always a bit of danger, however, in looking to large groups for explanations of differences in individual behavior…because they are never completely homogenous” (p.393).

Our legal system and law enforcement authorities have engaged in unfair lawmaking and discriminatory acts towards LGBTQ members. Some states created laws banning same-sex marriages and prohibited living arrangements amongst homosexual couples. Cohabitation is common among same-sex couples since they cannot be married legally. Homosexual couples are not granted the same marriage rights and benefits as heterosexual couples. Therefore, they lack federal benefits such as Social Security, inheritance of their partner, and the ability to jointly file tax returns. There have also been instances where public authorities, such as the police, have harassed them. Homosexuals have been taunted, mocked, beaten, and wrongfully accused by members of the police force.

Another institutional practice that unfairly treats LGBTQ individuals is churches. Religion plays a huge role in what is deemed morally right and acceptable. Certain churches believe it is sinful to be homosexual, often claiming it is the devil’s conquering of the soul that leads to this behavior.  The Church teaches to hate the sin but love the sinner, implying that homosexual behavior is sinful.  Some members of the church who are homosexual end up being rejected and banned from returning. The last institutional practice is the workforce. Many LGBTQ members feel that they need to keep their identity a secret so that they are not judged or discriminated against. Some fear that they may risk losing their jobs, receiving a lower salary, or being harassed if they reveal their identity. They are also unable to provide health insurance for their partners under many company provided insurance plans.

Although LGBTQ members are stigmatized for violating social norms and face serious consequences, they continue to fight for equality. There have been several acts of human agency aimed to bring about change. There have been LGBTQ movements, parades, and protests to try and bring awareness of the inequality of the treatment they receive. Memorial services and candle lit ceremonies are common to recognize the LGBTQ members who passed away from suicide or from being victims of violent acts against them. In recent decades, more and more LGBTQ members have been “coming out” to their peers, family, and society. Some people decide to be role models for those scared to “come out” and be advocates for change and equality. The more people that stand together to promote change, the greater the attention it will receive.  Many LGBTQ movements have been aired on the news and have articles written about them. Social media is a great source to help spread awareness to this problem. I think these types of uprisings and events will bring about change and reform in society. I believe the key is educating people on the topic and making them aware of the mental, physical, and emotional harm it causes. The majority of people existing in the social “norm” need to realize that despite our differences, every one of us are human beings with feelings, and deserve the same rights, benefits, and freedoms as everyone else.

 

References

Gruman, J.A., Schneider, F.W., & Coutts, L.A. (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

The Pennsylvania State University. (2022). Lesson 06: Intergroup Relations and Diversity. In PSYCH 424: Applied Social Psychology. Course offered through The Pennsylvania State University’s World Campus.

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01
Oct 21

The Importance of Diversity Inclusion in the Workplace

Importance of Diversity Inclusion in the Workplace – Lourdes Mestre – PSYCH 424

As I pondered on this week’s lesson and the continued racial injustices cemented into modern society and civil unrest in our country and across the world, I felt inspired to write about the time in my 20s when the positive benefits of Affirmative Action helped catapult my first career. An interesting curiosity along this journey in earning a degree in the field of psychology is that it allows you to cognitively continue to work on yourself, so as to increase your levels of self-attainment and self-actualization, and that in that process there is a healing that occurs. I will be 50-years-young when I earn my BA in Psychology from Penn State, essentially a 20th-century individual with a 21st-century education. The first time I personally sought out psychotherapy was as soon as I became an adult at 18-years-old for trauma and issues at home, and it was the best decision I ever made for myself during that time. My therapist was able to diagnose my birth mother as borderline personality and bipolar, and she gave me a number of her own textbooks with information on both of these mental health disorders for me to read and understand the symptoms. I was also diagnosed at the time with generalized anxiety disorder and anorexia nervosa, and through the work I did in this helping relationship (without medication) I learned about cognitive behavioral tactics to help reduce anxiety and my anorexia quickly went into remission – thank heavens! Regretfully, my birth mother decided to refuse continued treatment at the time, and to this day she still refuses the diagnoses, treatment, or medication for her conditions. In fact, this is one of the reasons that drives my personal “why” for pursuing advanced studies in the field of psychology beyond an undergraduate degree – to help reduce the stigma of mental health disorders in minority or marginalized communities, specifically for women and children, through creative positive interventions and behavioral approaches.

The reason I share this very personal story (which I’ve never shared publicly) has to do with the diversity that comes from the different experiences, hardships, and challenges minorities such as myself have to overcome – which starts during child development phases, even before we reach adulthood. Those of us with grit and desire to improve our lives and elevate to a healthier and more balanced life sometimes have a theoretical mountain to climb in order to reach our desired destination. It is because of these experiences that we see things from a different perspective, and we see things with fresh eyes. However, our perspectives or opinions may not always be well received, which our text discusses that while diversity increases “creativity and innovativeness for both individuals and groups,” if tensions flare it can “also lead to negative effects, such as prejudice, discrimination, and even conflict” (Gruman et al., 2016).

In research published by the U.S. Department of Education back in 1989 on college completion rates, findings state that “​​Black and Hispanic completion rates lag seriously behind those of Whites and Asian Americans,” where the largest “enrollment loss occurred during the first year and after the eighth semester” concluding that both “socioeconomic status and academic ability influence persistence” while the “cumulative effect of socioeconomic status and ability is greater than the influence of either factor by itself” (Porter, 1989). In Porter’s report, he identified that the “completion rates for Black and Hispanic students are between 25 and 30 percent” a striking comparison to the “more than 50 percent for Whites and Asian Americans” (1989). The report states that while “completion rates for all ethnic groups are higher in the independent sector,” they highlight that “Hispanics are the exception, however: their completion rate at independent institutions is less than 2 percentage points higher than in the public sector, not a meaningful difference,” yet, the “dropout rate for Hispanic students, especially those in the independent sector, appears to increase substantially after four semesters” (Porter, 1989). In my particular case, I made it through seven semesters in college right after high school before events outside of my control forced me to drop out of college in my early 20s – quite close to the statistics referenced in Porter’s research.

I do agree with Gruman et al. in their summary of the chapter, that while diversity inclusion in the workplace does lead to new perspectives, as well as increased creativity and innovation. However, when “diversity leads to conflict is important because conflict itself may be beneficial or harmful” and can also hurt innovation and creativity efforts (Gruman et al., 2016). Even though I never completed my Bachelor’s in my 20s, I was able to navigate the corporate landscape and work directly at or alongside Fortune 50 companies. I found a particular niche in the retail industry, and I became a diversity management hire through Affirmative Action programs – winning these slots over Hispanic candidates with degrees. Obviously, there are a whole lot of personal doubts and imposter syndrome symptoms that come along with being hired through the help of Affirmative Action implementations. So I always just had the mentality that my work ethic had to be flawless, and that my opinions be somewhat tempered, which research conducted by Nemeth states that minorities may be aware that “normative and/or informational influences could possibly be present” whereas “normative influences compel minority individuals to be accepted and therefore wish to avoid the disapproval that emanates from maintaining a minority viewpoint,” as well as the informational influences I was in the midst of, where “majority judgments are therefore likely to be correct” (Nemeth, 1986). Within some of the retail management fields and executive positions that I held, I was always the only Hispanic within my paygrade. My close work colleagues always included the other diversity hires who were peers, and sometimes we sat in meetings with 30-40 other executives – who were in other words, the majority and mostly Caucasian American – listening to decisions being made for minority demographic markets. In these situations, it was typically myself alongside a Black or Asian peer – two voices at most – expressing our points of view in order to impact and influence the judgments of the majority. Unfortunately, we lost some battles – however, the key is that we had a seat at the table in order to at least be able to express an opinion or point of view that comes from a minority perspective.

One of my favorite athletes of all time is the legendary Serena Williams, and a couple of years ago she launched a social media campaign for her new clothing brand – a movement she coined #BeSeenBeHeard (Williams, 2021). The most important part of the process in establishing a multicultural perspective is for minority voices to “be seen” and “be heard” (Williams, 2021), as success will be reaped through embracing multiculturalism at all levels in our society. I also deeply believe there is truth in Ms. Williams’ recently shared quote “no matter what you want to achieve, believe in yourself, be dedicated, work hard for it” (Williams, 2021), and this has been a personal motto in my life. 

 

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Both Gruman et al. and Nemeth discuss that “minority points of view can challenge the prevailing way of thinking, and therefore can stimulate greater creativity” (Gruman et al., 2016; Nemeth, 1986) and increase “positive outcomes related to diversity within groups” which include “creativity, innovation, and potentially improved problem solving” (Gruman et al., 2016). To this day, I feel lucky and blessed to have been selected through Affirmative Action programs, and I was able to accomplish many successes throughout my career. In contrast, without these AA diversity interventions that created career opportunities for me, I may have not been able to achieve the accomplishments that I did reach without a college degree. It wasn’t easy working alongside some colleagues or peers who did not respect you due to how I was hired or my lack of education, however, I did experience being a team member in some work pods who truly valued diversity – and we accomplished creativity and innovation that led us to company-wide recognition, including my own personal corporate milestone awards and promotions. In a couple of these particular corporate settings, I did experience direct and indirect racism, discrimination, and harassment – yet overcoming these challenges made me a stronger and more resilient individual. I hope that this new generation in the 21st century can help fix or bring solutions to the racial divides in our country and globally, through positive social interventions that unite instead of divide. 

What are your thoughts on Affirmative Action programs that promote inclusive and diverse multiculturalism? Do you see diversity as a catalyst to innovation, creativity, and progress? 

 

References

Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2016). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.

Nemeth, C. J. (1986). Differential contributions of majority and minority influence. Psychological Review, 93(1), 23–32. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295x.93.1.23

Porter, O. (1989). Undergraduate Completion and Persistence at Four-Year Colleges and Universities M Completers, Persisters, Stopouts, and Dropouts. U.S. Department of Education. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED319343.pdf

Williams, S. (2021). @Serena • Instagram. @Serena on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/serena/

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29
Sep 21

The Problem with Social Class

Issues relating to social class are another example of how the ideal of equal opportunity, and the belief that individual effort always pays off pervades many Western societies, allowing people to avoid acknowledging structural and systemic inequalities. (Gruman, 2007) People who are seen as the economically disadvantaged are considered to be living in a class of poverty, and then the overly advantaged are seen as a people of a higher class.

The problem with social class is that financial disparity that is spread across these populations of people are so stretched from one end to the other that the inequality is so noticeable that it is sometimes considered justifiable or understandable. Research suggests that social class is indeed a determinant of how we “size people up.” (Gruman, 2007) These social classes absolutely refer to the the grouping of individuals in a stratified hierarchy based on your wealth, the size of your income, what education you have, occupation you possess, and social networking, along with other ways people judge you based on social class.

Social classes have historically, unfairly grouped populations of people with certain characteristics together through no fault of there own. The deserving poor and the undeserving poor are two classes that are considered apart of these erroneous patterns of assumptions that people place on others. Mental health, physical health and criminal justice are all entities unfairly effected by the class that you are put in. Lower classes are offered resources of lesser quality then higher classes are. The treatment of the lower classes is a far cry from how the upper crust of society is treated.   

Gender, ethnicity, and social class constitute three of the many ways in which we are demographically diverse. (Gruman, 2007) The idea that we can be judged on these characteristics is a sad fact of life. We can change our gender in this day and age and we can change our class, but we can’t change our ethnicity. It does not matter how people see you if they look at you with their heart and not their eyes, same as social class. You can rise up from your social class to better yourself. Do not do it for people who judge, but for your own peace. Social class is a real social problem and it’s time we all graduate.

 

Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE.

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29
Sep 21

Women Fighting Against Negative Diversity

Today, many social reforms and interventions are created to make a change to a community’s ideal, and to overcome diversity. Over the years, more attention is being brought to subjects such as sexism, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex orientation, etc. It is important to make positive changes within these categories because without change, more tension will continue to arise. Throughout the last hundred years or so, women have involved themselves in interventions to overcome sexism and fight for equality. These interventions were successful, therefore reducing tension within society. Because of this success, it is encouraged to continue the fight to reduce the overall amount of tension that we witness each day.

Women took an important stand throughout the Progressive era because they wanted their voices to be heard. Women had to be their own advocates because society ignored their pride. During the period between the late 1800s and the early 1900s, women were not given the opportunity to voice their opinions because they were easily overlooked. By having social reform, women came together and fought for equality. Topics that they fought for were equal pay, equal opportunity, better work conditions, and much more. This was a major turn for the evolution of women because they were never recognized for fighting against injustice. During the progressive era there were multiple issues involving women such as poor working conditions, unequal pay, and job opportunity. As this was a reoccurring problem for many years, social reforms and interventions addressed the problem and demanded change. As a result, women gained a sense of empowerment because they took a stand when it was once socially wrong.

Women taking a stand and overcoming negative diversity is an important part of history because today’s society would be drastically different if it didn’t occur. Learning about the sacrifices that women made is inspiring because it influences people to speak their truth instead of being influenced by societal norms. If women did not take a stand when they did, we would unfortunately repeat history. One of the biggest impacts from the social reform was the nineteenth amendment. The nineteenth amendment states that no one shall be denied voting, regardless of gender. This was a step towards equality because women were granted the right to vote, meaning they now have a voice within the political system. “When group members have a meaningful group identity, have created a psychologically safe group climate, and feel that they can express their thoughts and opinions without being judged or rejected for those thoughts and opinions, then the chances that diversity will bring about positive results are the greatest” (Gruman 542). Adding the nineteenth amendment reduced an extensive amount of negative diversity which was a goal for women for a long period of time. Women opened a door full of opportunities and never stopped their fight for equality since.

Being involved in interventions has been proven to make major changes within society, so more interventions should be developed to achieve justice and equality. The social reform proved that women carry the same intelligence as anyone else and that working together can lead to positive changes. By having these reforms, many groups and organizations were created such as Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, which still exists. Learning about the social reform and the progressive era made me realize how far society has come by involving ourselves in interventions.

 

Reference: Applied Social Psychology : Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems, edited by Jamie A. Gruman, et al., SAGE Publications, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/pensu/detail.action?docID=5945490.

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24
Feb 21

Just How WEIRD is the FAE?

Every student of social psychology is at some point introduced to the fundamental attribution error (FAE). The term was coined in 1977 by Lee Ross to explain common misattributions (Ross, 1977). Ross noted that participants tend to attribute motivation to mostly internal factors, ignoring potential external factors. Psychologists have no doubt that both internal and external factors influence our decision making, but attributions tend to favor the internal, creating a correspondence bias. If true, the relevance of the FAE cannot be questioned, as all research should strive to be as unbiased as possible. Yet, is the FAE itself a biased misconception?

We will come back to the question at hand, but first let’s get weird. The term “WEIRD” was originally used by Henrich and Heine, referring to Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic societies. Their findings could radically shift the world of research, as it was found that 80% research participants are WEIRD, while representing only 12% of the human population (Azar, 2010). This finding means that the majority of research is only applicable to around an eighth of the world population. But what does this mean for the FAE?

Studies have shown the FAE is more common in individualist cultures than in collectivist cultures (Mason & Morris, 2010). Western cultures tend to be more individualist, so on this front the FAE is WEIRD. Research using more diverse populations must be completed on the FAE to determine the effects of education, industrialization, wealth, and government structure on the concept. It is quite possible that the FAE is not “fundamental” at all. The concept of making errors in attribution might itself be incorrectly attributed to human nature rather than to WEIRD societies. 

The WEIRD problem necessitates reflection on previously accepted psychological concepts. It brings forth the importance of something often all too ignored in research: diversity. Diversity across genders, races, and cultures is vital for any research study. The FAE becomes much more interesting if it is truly universal. Without universality of concepts, how are we to understand universal human nature?

References

Azar, B. (2010, May). Are your findings ‘WEIRD’? Monitor on Psychology, 41(5). http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/05/weird

Mason, M. F., & Morris, M. W. (2010). Culture, attribution and automaticity: a social cognitive neuroscience view. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 5(2-3), 292–306. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsq034

Ross, L. D. (1977). The intuitive psychologist and his shortcomings: Distortions in the attribution process. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 10, pp. 173-220). New York: Academic Press.

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27
Jul 20

We Need More Interracial Contact

When we speak about race, you’ll find that most Americans agree that people of all races and ethnicities should be treated equally and with respect. However, personal experiences and news reports show us that race and ethnicity continues to be a problem and it affects how people are treated and how we all interact with each other on a daily basis. Most of us are aware that racial prejudice has a major impact on our lives and on our community. However, prejudice alone does not fully account for all racial dynamics, including occurrences where people of color may experience different treatment from white people. Therefore, we must realize the impact of racial anxiety (the discomfort people feel in anticipation of or during interracial interactions).

Most of us are concerned about how we may be perceived when we are communicating with others who come from different racial groups or ethnicities, and this can make us feel unsure about how to act. In the subject of race, this concern may be particularly severe, as people of color worry that they will fall victim to racial bias and white people worry that their words or actions will be misconstrued or assumed to be racist. This anxiety very often comes from lack of experience in interacting or being around other racial groups, this leads us to develop cultural stereotypes or distorted perceptions about what other groups are like.

Racial anxiety can be interpreted into behaviors that may seem to be bias, for example, the following are all examples of symptoms of racial anxiety:

  • maintaining less eye contact
  • keeping a physical distance
  • smiling less
  • using an aggressive or less friendly verbal tone, or even
  • avoiding all interactions with people from other races altogether

All these behaviors can have major repercussions for perpetuating racial injustices, for example, a white teacher to appear to be engaging less with students color due to awkward body language, or by actually engaging less with students of color. Also, white employers conducting shorter interviews with non-white applicants, or patients of a certain race being less trusting of doctors from a different race. In addition, avoidance and distancing behaviors can also be due to racial prejudice, and people of different race may interpret these behaviors to be coming from racial prejudice, instead of interpreting them as a result of anxiety about interacting with other racial groups.

However, fortunately, racial anxiety is something that can be changed. This would require us to reach beyond our segregated friendship circles or communities, and develop meaningful relationships with people of other races, this has been proven by psychological research (Tropp, 2011). The more we do, the more we can:

  • develop positive attitudes/empathy with people of other races
  • gain confidence about navigating cross race interactions in the future, and
  • alleviate our anxieties about cross race interactions

Positive experiences with people from other races can also help to lower the impact of negative cross racial encounters and help to make people more resilient when they engage in stressful interactions in the future. Most importantly, the advantage of cross race contact may not occur right away, one brief meeting between strangers or acquaintances can induce anxiety, especially for those with a brief history of interracial experiences. People usually become more comfortable with one another through repeated interactions across racial lines that grow closer over time. Even among people that show high levels of racial bias, physiological signs of stress can decrease through repeated interracial interactions, which can in turn cause future interracial experiences to be more positive in nature.

The circumstances in which people from different races come into contact matter. Reduced prejudice and racial anxiety happens most often when people from different races work together as equals towards a common goal, institutional support that endorses this kind of equal status also helps a great deal. Some examples of how these conditions can facilitate familiarity, positive changes and mutual respect in interracial attitudes are integrated sports teams and cooperative learning strategies. However, such favorable conditions can’t always be guaranteed across different situations. We may use these additional strategies to help create a common sense of identity and increase the potential for members from different groups to become friends, we can do this by establishing norms that promote interaction and empathy between groups and encourage respect for group differences.

However, given the fact that most of our communities and social circles remain segregated, it can be difficult to achieve interracial contact. Racial anxiety is usually a byproduct of racially similar environments, which render cross race interaction less likely and increase the changes that it will be less positive if it does occur. In such cases like these, indirect forms of contact, such as observing positive interracial interactions, or knowing that members of your racial group have friends and/or acquaintances in other racial groups, can help to reduce anxiety, promote more positive expectation for future interracial interactions, and create positive shifts in attitude.

The most important thing is to continue to reduce the impact of racial bias and prejudice, and address the structural and institutional conditions that perpetuate our country’s history of racial discrimination. While engaging in these efforts, we must also realize that addressing our racial anxiety is critical if we hope to achieve long-term goals in removing racialized barriers to belonging, opportunity, and inclusion.

We can use intergroup contact techniques to reduce racial anxiety and promote positive interracial relationships as an important complement to other anti-discrimination efforts. We can all benefit from moving past the confines of our group boundaries and into a broader more open circle of friendships, relationships, and colleagues.

References:

Pettigrew, Thomas & Tropp, L.R.. (2012). When groups meet: The dynamics of intergroup contact. When Groups Meet: The Dynamics of Intergroup Contact. Retrieved July 27, 2020, from 1-310. 10.4324/9780203826461.

Tropp, L. R., & Mallett, R. K. (Eds.). (2011). Moving beyond prejudice reduction: Pathways to positive intergroup relations. American Psychological Association. Retrieved July 27, 2020, from https://doi.org/10.1037/12319-000

 

 

 

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06
Oct 19

Intergroup Relations/Diversity

In 1895 French doctor and scientist Gustave Le Bon proposed that a group of individuals is different from the sum of its parts. This has become a first principle of modern crowd psychology and has been expanded to postulate that when individuals form a group, this group behaves differently than each individual would normally act.

In the 21st Century, this theory can be seen at work in the narrative of identity politics. From Antifa to Black Lives Matterto the Alt-Right to In–Cels, and even terror groups such as ISIL. Creating a sense of belonging amongst the disenfranchised is a powerful tool used across the political spectrum.

The most effective tactic deployed to galvanize these individuals to “join up” is the appeal to the emotion of fear. The leadership of these various groups, although not always well organized, deploy a strategy of coercive reality-shaping power that tries to exacerbate the latent emotions of an individual, whipping he or she into a state of frenzied panic and desperately looking to hop on the that group identity’s bandwagon.

One of the issues that arises with this type of strategy is that consideration by the individual for who might be driving that band wagon is negated by the overwhelming emotion of fear.

In Order to Be Controlled, Nature Must First Be Understood

Academics in the Humanities have dedicated their lives to understanding human nature. Inarguably, consensus exists on the use of emotion to elicit a response – the more provocative the emotion, the more powerful the response. One of the principle tenets of emotional intelligence is the process of learning how to understand and thus control emotions.

This poses a clear and present danger to those who engage in the politics of fear to bolster their identity ideologies. As individuals begin to learn, understand, and control their emotions through heightened emotional intelligence, the ability of ideologues to deploy a power strategy of fear to promote tribalism is significantly hindered.

As power dynamics exists on a spectrum of dialectics, the consequence of failed fear mongering has historically been to either “yell louder” or to heighten the fear narrative, often to the point of hysteria.

As these attempts fail to achieve the originally intended goal, the ideologue must pursue an alternate social power strategy. According to E.M. Vokes & Associates, there are 11 identified forms of social power (used with permission):

Base Power

REWARD POWER: Based on a desire for a reward offered in return for compliance.

COERCIVE POWER: Based on a desire to avoid a threatened consequence.

Source Power

 

EXCHANGE POWER: Based on an agreement to return, gain,or exchange a favour in its

reward form, or an understanding of the mutual ability to withhold, block or retaliate in its

coercive form (e.g., buyer-seller, politicians exchanging favours, partnerships, international

treaties, Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.), etc.).

LEGITIMATE POWER: Based on the acceptance of the right or privilege of an authority

figure or group by virtue of complementary roles in eachcultural space (e.g., boss–employee,

officer-soldier, teacher-student, parent-child, etc.).

EXPERT POWER: Based on the perception of a superior knowledge base possessed by another person or group whom one regards as useful or desirable (e.g., degrees, professionals,award winners, those with many years of experience).

INFORMATION POWER: Based on the perception that a person or group has information that one does not have, and which one views as useful or desirable (e.g., news media, database

holders, workplace gossip, spies, etc.).

REFERENT POWER: Based on a desire to be liked by and/or accepted by the person or group, or out of a liking and/or respect for the person or group (e.g., “peer pressure”, celebrity status, friendship, admiration, love, etc.). Affective states engaged include attraction, admiration, affection, love, respect, and devotion. Forms the basis of trust and loyalty.

Composite Power

NETWORK POWER: Based on the perception of the value of a network of relationships with others who are perceived to be powerful in this as well as in terms of the other forms of power(e.g., business associates, political connections, friends and family members, neighbourhood, social and online communities, etc.).

INCLUSION/EXCLUSION POWER: Based on the desire for affiliation with, or separation from, a person or group. (e.g., group membership vs. non-membership/expulsion, employment vs. termination/resignation, marriage vs. divorce, free citizen vs.incarceration/exile, etc.). Conformity to existing cultural power norms is typically required to achieve inclusion. Autonomy from existing cultural power norms is achieved through self–exclusion.

SUBORDINATE POWER: Based on the perception that acquiescence with, submission to, or formation of a subordinate alliance with a superordinate power holder (a person or a group)will induce the superordinate to utilize some of their power toward the subordinate’s intended effects. (e.g., children to parents, followers to leaders, victims to protectors, under class togovernment, etc.). Emotional states engaged include hurt, fear, depression, despair, vulnerability, helplessness, or neediness for the other’s empathy, sympathy, pity, compassion, camaraderie, sense of duty, sense of responsibility and/or pride in their capacity to provide assistance, or sense of advantage in accepting the subordination.

REALITY-SHAPING POWER: Based on a willingness to adopt a presented view of reality, alter an opinion or outlook, or change a belief or belief system (e.g., compelling reasoning,presentation of evidence, emotional appeals, illustrative behaviour such as ‘setting an example’, etc.).

A New Wave

 

As identity politics groups collide head on with individuals developing enhanced levels of emotional intelligence, the ideologues promoting their mission will need to resort to other deployments of social power strategies. From the list above, there are plenty of examples in the media about how groups and individuals are trying to find the right mix of strategic social power deployment to achieve their respective goals.

Soon, society will see more sophisticated and elevated attempts at reality-shaping power from these groups through increasingly coercive and reward-based tactics. For the individual looking to resist the dangerous appeal of tribalism, working to improve emotional intelligence is the best route. Nothing is more powerful than the ability of the human mind to think critically. It’s all we have.

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03
Oct 19

The Squad of Capitol Hill

Congresswomen Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan are the new congresswomen who are known as “the Squad” on Capitol Hill. They are the face of diversity, acceptance, and equality. Above all else, though, they are highly qualified, intelligent, strong minded, and ass-kicking politicians. That’s what they were elected to do. The squad has already started off with a big bang by setting new milestones in the history of Capitol Hill. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are the first two Muslim-Americans to serve in Congress,  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and Ayanna Pressley is the first woman of color to be elected to the Boston City Council (Abramson, 2019; Relman & Ma, 2018; DeCosta-Klipa, 2018). In only a short period of time, people know their names and they listen to what they have to say. Despite their qualifications and devotion, they experience daily attacks, partly due to their politics, but mostly due to their ethnic backgrounds. Like never before, racism is loud and apparent in Capitol Hill. 

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota rose from a refugee camp to Capitol Hill and, ever since, has been one of the current president’s top targets (Abramson, 2019). As one of the first two Muslim-American congresswomen, it’s not easy for Ilhan to just focus on her work because on a daily basis she has to defend bigoted assumptions about her beliefs (Flanagan, 2019). Rashida Tlaib of Michigan experienced similar issues as Omar, as she, too, is a Muslim-American. Recently, both Omar and Tlaib were banned by Israel’s government to enter the country, a decision that was backed by President Trump (2019) as he tweeted “It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace” (Green, 2019; Trump, 2019). As Massachusetts first black woman in Congress, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts is no stranger to racism either. Like her other squad members, Pressley was a victim of many racist tweets . The youngest congresswoman ever elected, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, is probably the most targeted person by many politicians, including President Trump. For example, in September, Republicans ran a TV ad depicting picture of Ocasio-Cortez on fire (Schouten, 2019). Furthermore, the squad was also recently been told via twitter to go back to where they came from (Pengelly, 2019). As a result, the squad not only have to work harder than most on their policies but also on defending their beliefs, and assuring people that they are as much of an American as anyone else in the US. 

Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts (2012), state that today blatant racism no longer exists. However, today’s events seem to contradict Schneider et al.’s (2012) statement. Blatant racism is an obvious act of racism such as segregation and clear differential treatment due to their skin color, and as stated above the squad did experience a clear differential treatment compared to their peers (Schneider et al., 2012). What people don’t realize is that having diverse congressmen and congresswomen in Capitol Hill could be beneficial for us, the people, as besides their academic qualifications they also have a built-in functional diversity (Schneider et al., 2012). With the squad’s built-in functional diversity, their diverse background and experiences can help increase the quality of decision making in the Capitol Hill (Schneider et al., 2012). Diversity definitely comes with challenges, as Schneider et al. (2012) point out that in a diverse group there’s a decrease in communication and social interaction. However, if people focus on their similarity rather than their differences, they may not even experience decreases in these areas. Instead, they may be even more creative and innovative, and perhaps can finally drain the swamp? 

References

Abramson, A. (2019, July 18). How Ilhan Omar Rose From Refugee to Donald Trump’s Target. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://time.com/5628844/ilhan-omar-profile/.

DeCosta-Klipa, N. (2018, August 31). Everything you need to know about Ayanna Pressley. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2018/08/31/ayanna-pressley-massachusetts-primary.

Flanagan, C. (2019, August 26). Ilhan Omar’s Opportunity. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/08/where-ilhan-omar-failed/596743/.

Green, E. (2019, August 15). Trump Has Enabled Israel’s Antidemocratic Tendencies at Every Turn. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/08/israel-bans-omar-tlaib/596167/.

Pengelly, M. (2019, July 15). ‘Go back home’: Trump aims racist attack at Ocasio-Cortez and other congresswomen. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/14/trump-squad-tlaib-omar-pressley-ocasio-cortez.

Relman, E., & Ma, A. (2019, January 8). Meet Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the millennial, socialist political novice who’s now the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://www.businessinsider.com/all-about-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-who-beat-crowley-in-ny-dem-primary-2018-6.

Schneider, F.W., Gruman J.A.,  & Coutts, L.M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. 

Schouten, F. (2019, September 14). Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slams shocking ad that aired during Democratic debate. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/13/politics/aoc-criticizes-attack-ad/index.html.

Trump, D. [@realDonalTrump]. (2019, August 15). It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1162000480681287683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1162000480681287683&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theatlantic.com%2Fpolitics%2Farchive%2F2019%2F08%2Fisrael-bans-omar-tlaib%2F596167%2F

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16
Feb 19

Needed: Women in Cybersecurity

My husband, Brian, has managed several fairly large teams in the IT world and recently shifted into cybersecurity.  While the teams he managed before were roughly half men and half women, the most recent team he inherited, though ethnically and culturally diverse, is all men. In addition to this team in the United States, he also has one in Bangalore, India. Curiously, the India group does not suffer from the same type of lacking diversity; they are very evenly distributed between men and women. I was curious to uncover more details about this discrepancy and see if I could learn anything to help him increase his gender diversity here in the United States.

While he wants to ensure he is objective in selecting candidates from applicants to the roles that are opening on his team as it grows, he also understands the importance that diversity brings to a team environment.  From his past experience with a more diverse team, he recognizes firsthand the value that varied perspectives add when attempting to solve problems and collaborate.

I knew that few women work in cyber security but I did not know the extent of the problem until I started to do some research. The US Department of Homeland Security reports that only 13% of cyber security professionals are women (Bagchi-Sen, Rao, Upadhyaya & Chai, 2010). They go on to state that the percentage is even lower in Europe and Asia. I found this information a little confusing since Brian did not observe this same problem when he was in India just a few weeks ago. His company employs about 2000 IT professionals in Bangalore and about half of them are women. It is possible that in the last several years this situation has improved in India since this study was conducted in 2010. Brian reported that the vast number of billboards, not targeted at a specific gender, in Bangalore were adds to learn English and computers. This may have something to do with increasing the gender diversity in IT and cybersecurity in this area.

According to Bagchi-Sen, Rao, Upadhyaya, and Chai in their study entitled “Women in Cybersecurity: A Study of Career Advancement” (2010) one of the barriers to women entering the field of cyber security is the institutional barrier of the “hacker culture” in the IT world. They also cite reasons other reasons as lack of female role models and mentors in the field as well as the societal expectation that girls are not as good as boys in math and science which results in a confidence gap in these areas starting in middle school and growing even wider in high school. This form of sexism, treating someone in a different way due to their sex (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012), is just one of the many road blocks that hinder girls from pursuing a career that is intensive in math and science.

According to the study “Holistically Building the Cybersecurity Workforce” by Hoffman, Burley, and Toregas (2012) in order to correct the problem of so few women in the field it will take the combined efforts of educators, human resource professionals, and current cybersecurity professionals. As a cybersecurity professional Brian is attempting to do his part to encourage an increase in the number of women interested in the field.

In this new cybersecurity role, Brian said he is realizing that it is rare that his recruiters even find female candidates for his roles. One of the traps recruitment can fall into is searching purely on number of years of past experience.  If you are recruiting in a field that has an existing industry-wide gender gap, this method will only propagate the problem.  Other comparable fields to cybersecurity that his company recruits from are law enforcement, military, and IT, all of which have similar gender gaps.

One of the methods that he has proposed and is beginning to implement with his recruiting partners to hire in professionals with the aptitude and appetite to learn the field, not only those with direct experience.  Given the current industry shortage of cybersecurity professionals of all genders, this idea has gained traction at his company. He plans to utilize these methods and hopefully come up with more in the future to increase the number of women employed on his teams.

 

References:

Bagchi-Sen, S., Rao, H., Upadhyaya, S., & Chai, S. (2010). Women in cybersecurity: A study of career advancement. IT Professional, 12(1), 24-31. doi: 10.1109/mitp.2010.39

Hoffman, L., Burley, D., & Toregas, C. (2012). Holistically building the cybersecurity workforce. IEEE Security & Privacy Magazine, 10(2), 33-39. doi: 10.1109/msp.2011.181

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

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01
Oct 18

Diversity Doubleheader

While visiting Baltimore to watch my beloved Houston Astros take on the Orioles aCamden Yards this weekend, I surprisingly found that the 23rd annual Baltimore Book Festival was running concurrently with the end of the baseball season. During the festival, I was fortunate enough to attend an entertaining and informative presentation by April Ryan, a Baltimore-born White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, and a CNN contributor. In 21-years of reporting on the White House and its occupants, Ryan has made a name for herself as a tenacious journalist who is willing to ask the tough questions that concern diversity in America. At today’s appearance, Ryan disclosed one of the most difficult questions she has ever had to propose when she famously asked Donald Trump, “Mr. President, are you a racist” (Mr., 2018)? In furthering the discussion on the issue of racism, a look at its definition and several of its various forms is vital to increasing our understanding of this important social issue.

Our textbook defines racism as “bias against an individual or a group of individuals based on…race/ethnicity” (Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts, 2012, p. 333).  Before Ryan’s controversial question to President Trump, she had consulted with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to ask how they defined the term. Their response provided me an interesting viewpoint in which to view the topic. “Racism,” according to Ryan per the NAACP, is the “intersection between prejudice and power” (Ryan, 2018). Essentially, it is not enough to merely show bias towards someone based on their race or ethnicity, but the domineering person must feel some level of supremacy over the victim. This revelation was just one of the many I had in listening to Ryan speak of her experiences.

Since Ryan’s infamous inquiry, she has felt the consequences of blatant racism that many of us are most familiar with hearing about. She has received a barrage of emails and letters from individuals who have attacked her because of her skin color. These threats have not only been directed towards Ryan, but also her family, and she now employs a bodyguard for protection (Ryan, 2018). Ryan also spoke about the glaring racism she witnessed during the 2016 presidential campaign season as it relates to then President Barack Obama. In traveling the country covering the election, Ryan saw and heard an uprising of people who were angry because an African-American had reached the pinnacle of American politics. As the crowds grew in attendance and intensity, there was little doubt for Ryan that some people were enraged with the idea of a person of color with so much power (Ryan, 2018).

In some instances, individuals did not openly declare racist statements, but nevertheless, Ryan felt that forms of symbolic racism were apparent in their attitudes. This type of racism is not particularly directed at a certain ethnic group, but instead, aimed at a corresponding target or another “proxy-type factor” (Schneider et al., 2012, p. 334). One of these “targets” during the last presidential campaign was that of immigration reform, a topic that disproportionality affects people of different ethnicities. Proponents of stricter immigration policy argued that immigrants were taking jobs from unemployed Americans. As the campaign picked up steam, Ryan recalled the negative tone that shifted particularly towards Latinos (Ryan, 2018). People were not necessarily chastising these individuals publicly based on their ethnicity, but instead energetically cheered to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, and end programs that benefit immigrant children and their families.

Racism, in its many forms, is a pattern of prejudice based on one’s race or ethnicity from individuals who feel dominant over other people. This type of bias can be blatant in openly discriminating against someone or can be concealed as pure disagreement with factors associated with a particular minority group. During a recent presentation at the Baltimore Book Festival, April Ryan, a veteran White House correspondent, shared some of her experiences in dealing with bigotry. Over the last two years, she and her family have been victims of unabashed verbal assaults because of her race, and she has also witnessed less-obvious symbolic racism against other minority groups.

After Ryan’s appearance, I headed over to Camden Yards to watch the final regular season baseball game for my Astros, and the Orioles. While Houston is headed to the playoffs, Baltimore ended their season with an emotional farewell to Adam Jones, an African-American outfielder, who has spent the last 11 seasons starring for the O’s. With his every at-bat, a diverse crowd of fans rose to their feet and gave Jones one standing ovation after another. I have no idea who any of these people supported for president. I have no idea who was a racist, or not, in that crowd. But for a few hours in time, apparently it didn’t matter. The only color anyone was worried about was their team’s shade of orange. My team lost, but it still felt good.

References:

“Mr. President, are you a racist?” (C-SPAN). (2018, January 12). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoBOueMfdcY

Ryan, A. D. (2018, September 30). Speech presented at Baltimore Book Festival, Baltimore.

Schneider, F.W., Gruman, J.A., & Coutts, L.A. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

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30
Sep 18

The way diversity affects us

“Diversity brings about the opportunity to learn new perspectives and, in so doing, to increase creativity and innovativeness for both individuals and groups” (Gruman, Schneider, & Coutts, 2012). While I agree with that statement, I have to point out that diversity can obviously also lead to things such as prejudice, discrimination, and some conflict. We are all different based on how we look, how we behave, our background, gender, and socioeconomic status. Diversity can affect us positively or negatively and that can depend on many different things. One example that I would like to use is my own background and experiences.

I was born in Bosnia and was three years old when my family moved to Germany in order to escape the Yugoslavian war in the early 90s. We spent nearly nine years in Germany and, since I was so young when we moved, I had no memory of Bosnia. Germany and that culture was all that I knew. At that time, there were all sorts of people living in my town who came from a different culture. We all managed to blend in with the Germans, while also maintaining our own traditions. Somehow it all worked, so we experienced little to no discrimination. The negative conflicts that happened came in the late 90s when a few local government officials decided that it was time for a few of the Bosnian families to leave Germany. We were on that list and were given a choice – either go back to Bosnia or move to the United States. We chose the United States because there was nothing left for us in Bosnia and a few family members had already moved to the USA at that time.

We faced negative conflict and discrimination when we moved to the United States and had to yet again learn a new language and learn about the new culture. Although our new home had a diverse group as well, it somehow included more negative conflict. When we moved here, I was finishing the seventh grade and barely spoke English. It gave the other kids a reason to bully me, which affected my self-esteem.  They believed that their group was superior and that I was the ‘lower class’, so to speak. Thinking back on it, it made my social and personal identity stand out. “Social identity theory suggests that it is the context within which individuals find themselves that determines which type of identity – personal or social – will predominate” (Gruman, Schneider, & Coutts, 2012). I think that back then, the social identity dominated because the new environment that I found myself in evoked the sense of social identity. Now I would say the personal identity dominates more because I am more aware of myself and focus on that rather than the social group that I find myself in.

“Anywhere humans exist, diversity will exist” (Gruman, Schneider, & Coutts, 2012). We need to find ways to minimize discrimination and find resolutions that can maximize positive outcomes because in the end it affects all of us and we all have the common goal of embracing our differences and living in peace.

 

 

References

Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE.

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11
Apr 18

Classifying Ourselves into Seclusion

Social Categorization, a mechanism that all humans have, is a built in file cabinet deep within the social cognitive process of the brain. Social categorization allows humans the ability to understand relationships and make sense of other people and the world we live in. This social cognitive mechanism allows our brains to classify people into groups (PSUWC, Lesson 6). This natural process helps our brains to identify what is safe and what is a threat to our survival. What is survival? The Oxford Dictionary defines survival as “the continued existence of organisms, which are best adapted to their environment, with the extinction of others…”(Survival. n.d.). It is also defined in the Oxford dictionary as, “the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances.”(Survival. n.d.). For this purpose, I am going to incorporate Darwins’ Theory of Evolution as defined as, is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits. Changes that allow an organism to better adapt to its environment will help it survive and have more offspring.”(Than. 2018) As you can see the Oxford definition of “Survival” and Darwin’s “Theory of Evolution” go hand in hand and are very similar. It is safe to state that in order to survive; One’s brain must adapt social cognitive mechanisms, by processing the every change world in to processes to survive. This social cognitive categorization not only affects people physically, but also cognitive processes. By experiences, people are subjected to help define their social identity and social dominance to survive. Social Identity Theory incorporates both personal identity and social identity. Personal identity can be a combination of objective biosocial personal markers and subjective personal experiences (PSUWC. Lesson 6.). Social identity comes from self-concept. What defines self-concept? Well self-concept come from self-categorization based on the knowledge, acceptance, connection and commitment to a group (PSUWC, Lesson 6). Humans have built a file cabinet that defines who they are, which can influence survival. If a person has high self-concept and feel apart of a group then the possibility of mental illness also lowers. Leaving less deaths to things such as suicide. I hope your still following me, I know I am touch on these topics, but it all relevant. For example, in Today’s society it is acceptable to have what we classify as appropriate groups and not appropriate groups. Everyone’s perception of this differs in certain ways. Children is the easiest way to see this. If you look a one class, you have students that are skinny, short, pudgy, tall, athletic, smarter than others…ect. These are all categories, that are socially acceptable.

One day you are eating lunch with your child and another child from the classroom has an outburst. The staff try to console them, in your mind you are trying to make sense of why this child all of a sudden had an outburst. Some may think they are not disciplined, that they must have problems at home, that they have anger issues ect… This is how our brains are processing the unexpected action of another child. Then your child mentions that this child is different and it happens all the time, so now your brain, put this child into a special needs category and your concerned for the safety of children. This example is pretty short and sweet. However it does happen. That child is what is categorized as autistic. The outburst was from a heighten sensory issue due to the noise of the lunchroom. This child will most likely not eat for the rest of the day, much less function a productive scale. You have no knowledge or experience with autistic children, you may advise your child to stay away from this child for fear of being different or safety of your child. What this does is start a vicious process to exclude this child for acting typical to their needs. If you have a headache, you go to a quiet space. Sensory processing issues are heighten typical issues that the brain can not process. The end of this situation is that Social categorization happened and started the process of seclusion, because their reaction is not what society deems typical. However, what is not well known that in the past ten years people identified with autism has increased 119% (Autism Society. 2015.). Darwin’s theory states evolution is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits. Changes that allow an organism to better adapt to its environment will help it survive and have more offspring.”(Than.2018) This rise in people being identified with autism could be a natural change in evolution. Based on the Oxford Dictionary is child survives,  based on the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances.”(Survival. n.d.) However, because this child is categorized by society and is excluded from social groups, they suffer from lack of self-concept. They are seen as the less dominate within their peer groups. What society doesn’t know about these children is they are the pros at categorizing information, they can synthesis greater concepts beyond our understanding. They are just missing their voice, their self-concept. Unfortunately, in Today’s society we have adults that are excluded based on “disability”. A Categorization for society to make sense of the world. However, our dated evolution has everything in our lives categorized, to the extent of seclusion that is influencing survival.

 

References:

Autism Society.Facts and Statistics. (2015, August 26). Retrieved April 02, 2018, from http://www.autism-society.org/what-is/facts-and-statistics/

PSU World Campus. (2018). PSYCH 424:Social Psychology. Lesson 6: Intergroup Relations/Diversity. https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1924488/assignments/9628601?module_item_id=23682597

Survival | Definition of survival in English by Oxford Dictionaries. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2018, from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/survival

Than, K. (2018, February 26). What is Darwin’s Theory of Evolution? Retrieved April 11, 2018, from https://www.livescience.com/474-controversy-evolution-works.html

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27
Feb 17

Homogeneity Breeds Prejudice

Growing up, I was constantly being introduced to different cultures, ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds. I remember being fascinated at the vast amount of cultural traditions and nuances, and I craved to meet new people, people with different stories. In Damascus, Syria, attending an International High School quenched my thirst for meeting different people, as the student making up the school were mostly children of diplomats who were stationed in Damascus. I had friends from all four corners of the world – from Buenos Aires, to Ghana, to Amsterdam. For me it felt natural being in a diverse environment, and I wouldn’t know any other way of interacting.

That was until I move to Yerevan, Armenia around four years ago. During the first few months, it was both comforting yet strange to be in a country where everyone is of the same ethnicity, of the same nationality, and of the same religion – everyone is Armenian, following the Apostolic church. It first felt comforting because I felt like I was ‘home’, being in my own country with ‘my’ people. But it was also strange at the same time because I was not used to the homogeneity. It was when I enrolled at the American University of Armenia that I began to notice the prejudice that existed here.

There was only one international student in the freshman class, and he was from India. I will not disclose any names for the protection of this individual’s privacy. I first was oblivious to it, since I had never witnessed first hand people exhibited prejudice towards another person. Slowly but surely, I noticed the whispers when this student walked into a class; I noticed how everyone else created a bubble around if as if he were contagious. This student was picked on, laughed at, and publicly humiliated on many occasions. I was ashamed and appalled at my peers’ behavior, and the first thing I did was blame it on their characters – believing that they were a bunch of disrespectful bullies, who are also immature for exhibiting this type of behavior – ultimately falling prey to the fundamental attribution error. The fundamental attribution error underlies that we find it easier to explain other people’s behavior in terms of personal dispositions, rather than thinking about situational factors that could have played in a role in their actions (Schneider et al., 2012). The more people I saw exhibiting prejudiced behavior towards another, the more people I ended up attributing being disrespectful and horrible to.

It was not until much later that year on a day that I was reminiscing my high school days when I had an epiphany. I was introduced to diverse environment growing, but Armenians who were born and raised in Armenia here never had. There is little to no diversity in Armenia, so how could these people ever be accustomed to a diverse environment when they have never been in one? Their entire lives has been underlined by the similar-to-me effect – since everyone around them is similar to them, they have been accustomed to perceiving others who are like themselves more favorably than others (Schneider et al., 2012).

This is fortunately taking a turn for the better in Armenia. Tourism has seen a boost in recent years, which means locals are being introduced more and more to individuals of different ethnicities and backgrounds. A lot of citizens of neighboring countries have also come to Armenia to start business, and there has been a huge influx of Syrian Armenians (due to the civil unrest in Syria). I am noticing how the dynamic has changed between local Armenians and an individual who is not from here – and it is definitely a great aspect to witness. Gordon Allport introduced the contact hypothesis, which “assumes that positive contact with members of an out-group could decrease negative stereotyping of the out-group by the in-group and lead to improved intergroup relations” (pg. 343, Schneider et al., 2012. I definitely see a link between this hypothesis and what I have experienced throughout my four years here by observing in-groups (Armenians) contact with out-groups. The more that Armenians had contact with anybody who is different than they are, the more they are not only developing acceptance, but also realizing the great outcomes of meeting diverse individuals.

Thank you for reading,

Hilda Yacoubian

 

References

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

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16
Nov 16

Social Change: Action research

 

quote-no-research-without-action-no-action-without-research-kurt-lewin-136-14-90Not all of us will become professional scientists, but most thinking persons are lay scientists. For example, we all make predictions about the outcomes of various choices at our disposal in our daily life through an informal and largely unconscious process. Similarly, those of us who are personally invested in (any pro-social) career outside of basic research nonetheless conduct informal action research in the pursuit of successful outcomes. By definition, action research occurs when individuals seek to influence the community they are a part of, and therefore have a vested interest in (Lewin, 1946, in Scheider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012).

In order to become a better doctor, for example, one must not only stay on the cutting edge of medicine, but must also learn how to achieve greater patient compliance with medical directives. If patients aren’t compliant, a physician might dig deeper to find out why individuals don’t act in accordance with medical advice. He or she might wonder, are patients confused about instructions, unable to afford prescribed medications, or embarrassed to discuss side effects, fears, or other concerns? Could they disagree with or distrust the physician’s goals? These types of questions exhibit more than simple curiosity—they indicate an underlying desire to improve health outcomes more effectively through heightened awareness of patients’ personal and cultural needs.

If we want to systematize this informal process of examination so that our own findings may contribute to broader understanding, participatory action research is an avenue that capitalizes on the insights tharcat can be gained through being on the front lines of a pressing social concern. This iterative cycle of inquiry and reflection (Kolk, n.d.) allows us to—to paraphrase Paulo Friere, author of Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970/1993)—both educate, and be educated by, the very people we study (Brydon-Miller, 1997). At the core of this approach is the fundamental belief that authentic knowledge cannot be generated without the participation and perspective of the communities investigated.

People in various careers participate in action research, not the least of which is education. Dick Sagor, former high school principal and current Director of the Institute for the Study of Inquiry in Education, encourages teachers to collaborate with each other as action researchers (Kolk, n.d.). By pooling their experiences and results, he says, teachers became more invested and successful, boosting teacher satisfaction as well as school culture. Melinda Kolk, editor of Creative Educator lays out a template for would-be action researchers in the classroom environment to follow if they wish to formalize their informal processes (Kolk, n.d.). By progressing through the action research cycle, they can reap the benefits of promoting effective change in their own classrooms, while potentially benefiting students and teachers in the broader community should their research be published.

I can’t help but think that adopting an action researcher mentality, regardless of one’s career, would provide a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose to daily tasks. A sense of ongoing inquisitiveness, paired with a commitment to the greater good, would particularly enrich those whose career choice puts them into frequent contact with disadvantaged or marginalized groups.

Brydon‐Miller, M. (1997). Participatory action research: Psychology and social change. Journal of Social Issues, 53(4), 657-666. doi:10.1111/0022-4537.00042.

Kolk, M. Embrace action research. Retrieved November 17, 2016, from Creative Educator, http://www.thecreativeeducator.com/v07/articles/Embracing_Action_Research

Kolk, M. K. M. Interview with Dick Sagor. Retrieved November 17, 2016, from http://www.thecreativeeducator.com/v07/articles/Interview_Dick_Sagor

Retrieved November 17, 2016, from http://www.azquotes.com/picture-quotes/quote-no-research-without-action-no-action-without-research-kurt-lewin-136-14-90.jpg

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., & Coutts, L. (2012) Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

 

 

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04
Nov 16

Stigma in the community is caused by diversity and differences

Is already known that stigma can cause a big impact in the social environment. Unfortunately, stigma is more common then what we can think, and is present everywhere. Stigma happens when we label other people or treat them differently because of a personal characteristic or a different behavior that make them look deviant or flawed (Schneider, Grumman, & Coutts, 2012, p. 284). Many physical or emotional aspects of a person can cause stigma such as age, gender orientation, religious choices and beliefs, social causes and diseases (Bresnahan, & Zhuang, 2016, p. 1284). In Greek, the work stigmatizein means to blemish and is one of the first words in early human history to be applied to the act of labeling others. No matter the reason why anyone should use stigma against others, it is very clear that stigma can cause negative effects and plays an important role influencing people’s behavior and reactions (Bresnahan, & Zhuang, 2016, p. 1284).

There is no a specific way to control or radically change stigma nowadays because of the large societies where we live. In the past, social interactions were formed by smaller groups and it was easier for people to process social cues of their environment. They also had the chance to have different constructs because their perception about their environment was limited (PSU, WC, Psych 424, lesson 11, 2016). Nowadays, we all face different social challenges and social interactions because our groups are larger; the concepts of social environment have changed since we developed a fast pace lifestyle, acquired technological communication tools and grew our cities. Our over-populated communities resulted in stimulus-overload, making us feel overwhelmed with all the cues that we must process (Schneider, et al., 2012, p. 279). Because of this enormous amount of new information every day and the he diversity we are exposed to in our communities, we tend to withdraw from social interactions and seclude ourselves into a limited environment. This is the most accurate description of big cities lifestyle and socialization (PSU, WC, Psych 424, lesson 11, 2016).

Because of this big mixture of innovation in our larger communities’ stigma is more popular than ever, and most people tend to have some source of stigma (Bresnahan, & Zhuang, 2016). The American larger communities are formed by people from all over the world, which means there are racial, language, habit and belief differences between most members of the community. Sometimes it can be difficult for some people to interact with one another when their habits and beliefs are very different (Steinberg, 2014). This big diversity is the cause for much of the stigmatization present in our communities. Normally, when people label or judge others they tend to discard or ignore the diversity factor that influences people behaviors (Schneider, et al., 2012, p. 285). The stigma normally originates when people with stigmatized conditions are marked by the public as unacceptable in some ways. Usually their ancestry, ethnicity, religious and cultural habits are left behind by bystanders. Thus, very often negative emotions such as anger and fear are triggered by stigmatized conditions and lead to negative behavioral reactions such as avoidance and rejection of stigmatized individuals (Bresnahan, & Zhuang, 2016).

Not only stigma leads to misperceptions, but it also makes people ignore each other’s needs in an emergency. The bystander effect may be caused by some social stigma and people in larger communities many times fail to provide help to strangers because they are unable to perceive social cues due to stigma (Latané, & Nida, 1981). In many cases, people from large communities have other priorities and a rushed lifestyle, they create social barriers and this make it possible for them to use stigma more frequently (Schneider, et al., 2012, p. 280); when situations involving strangers happen, they often are unware or just fail to give help because they assume others will come to the rescue (Latané, & Nida, 1981).

Many researchers have found that stigma is related to cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses and those can be the explanations for stigma caused by the diversity in large communities. To reduce the stigma existent in those areas, social justice and respect for diversity need to be assessed and taught everywhere; maybe with this type of interventions we might be able to reduce the effects stigma has over people, improving social interactions (Schneider, et al. 2012, p.284). This core value will not terminate stigma completely, but will diminish its’ effects. Maybe the lifestyle in big cities would change a little bit; the formation of smaller interacting groups would help the process to reduce stigma and will help people to develop social copying skills. Community psychology is the field used to implement this source of social interventions (Schneider, et al., 2012, p. 291). When I talk about changing the lifestyle in big cities, I am referring to the fact that the stigma existent now causes much of a social impact, that it results in social inhibition (Latané, & Nida, 1981. P. 309).

 

References

Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., Akert, R. M., & Sommers, S. R. (2016). Social psychology (Ninth ed.). New York: Pearson.

Bresnahan, M., & Zhuang, J. (2016). Detrimental effects of community-based stigma. American Behavioral Scientist, 60(11), 1283-1292. doi:10.1177/0002764216657378. Retrieved from: http://abs.sagepub.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/content/60/11/1283.full.pdf+html

Latané, B., & Nida, S. (1981). Ten years of research on group size and helping. Psychological Bulletin, 89(2), 308-324. Retrieved from http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/614356949?accountid=13158

Penn State University, World Campus (Fall, 2016). Psych 424: Lesson 11. Retrieved from: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802487/discussion_topics/11378506?module_item_id=21233994

Schneider, F.W., Grumman, J.A., & Coutts, L.M. (2012) Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Steinberg, S. (2014). The long view of the melting pot. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 37(5), 790-794. doi:10.1080/01419870.2013.872282. Retrieved from http://www-tandfonline-com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/doi/abs/10.1080/01419870.2013.872282

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08
Oct 16

Culture: Hofstede, Individualism, and Collectivism

Let me start by giving a brief overview of my background. I consider myself a fairly multicultural person: I was born in a city in India, moved to suburban Detroit a year after, lived there for 10 years, then moved back to India, and then went to college in a town near Philadelphia for a couple of years.

In my journey across the world and through life, I have come in touch with the dimensions of Hofstede’s cultural taxonomy—in particular, individualism and collectivism—the worlds of the western, individualistic United States, and the eastern, collectivistic India. In this blog, I’d like to talk a bit about culture and self-identity, as per Hofstede’s dimension of individualism/collectivism, and give some insights from cultural psychology about the pervasive effects of culture.

Culture shapes self-concept, as thoroughly explained in a paper by Markus and Kitayama (1991). In individualistic cultures, the self is independent, with emphasis on individual goals over collective goals, and value placed on self-reliance and distinctiveness. There is importance given to standing out, whereas in collectivistic cultures, where the self is interdependent, there is importance given to fitting in. There is emphasis on collective goals, and close relationships and group membership are valued.

One’s upbringing is thoroughly influenced by the cultural psychology of caregivers, or ethnotheories, as per Super and Harkness (1986). Whereas in western, individualistic cultures, the emphasis is on independence from the parent, in eastern, collectivistic cultures, the emphasis is on the sense of oneness and cohesion, and the promotion of dependence between parent and child. Competence in individualistic cultures is defined in terms of behaviors associated with individuation, such as exploration, autonomy, efficacy, and self-expression. In collectivistic cultures, however, competence is more a question of social harmony, interdependence, emotion monitoring, and control. Expressing yourself in collectivistic cultures is often discouraged.

In individualistic cultures, parenting is a child-led task wherein the goals are autonomy and independence. Parents use praise and promote self-enhancement and place emphasis on happiness and personal satisfaction. In collectivistic cultures, parenting is more traditional, akin to training (jiao xun), with the goal being that of interdependence. Parents use criticism, and emphasize self-improvement and achievement, as personal achievement is a reflection of the family’s investment and effort (Heine, 2011).

Fiske (1991) looked at family structures across the dimension of individualism and collectivism, and found that Western, individualistic families are more egalitarian in nature, with emphasis on equality among all members and individual rights and privileges. In the East, however, collectivistic families are more hierarchical in nature, with emphasis on authority, tradition, prestige, protection, and care. Everyone in the family hierarchy needs to be aware of their roles and obligations. Family members who are higher in rank have more prestige and privileges, but the ones lower in rank are more entitled to protection and care.

Even emotions are affected by the dimension of individualism and collectivism. According to a study by Wang (2001), individualistic Americans see emotions as an important aspect of the self, and are elaborated upon as a way of facilitating individuality. Collectivistic Chinese, however, see emotions as a consequence of social interactions, and emphasize others’ roles in emotional expression. Emotions reinforce proper behavioral conduct and sense of connectedness within groups.

When it comes to love, there are different theories prevalent across cultures. In India, where collectivism is prevalent, marriage is arranged by parents based on socioeconomic class and religion, as opposed to marriage being agreed upon by the individuals based on their personality traits and attributes, as is common in individualistic cultures. Love in India is a duty, a feeling that blooms from the obligations of a familial alliance. In the west, love is more voluntary, and therefore more individualistic, with emphasis on the feelings that come about within each individual (Heine, 2011). The National Healthy Marriage Resource Center observed differences in Eastern collectivistic concepts of love and marriage and Western individualistic concepts, and found that love in the east is seen as an indissoluble bond, whereas in the west, love and marriage are more of a contract.

I could go on and on about how much culture influences us, but I’d like to end with a note on ethnic identity in multicultural individuals. It’s confusing to be brought up one way, and then live in a society that operates in a completely opposite way—there is a lot of psychosocial conflict that takes place, both within the individual and between family members who have conflicting cultural values. As globalization increases, there is more and more need for cultural awareness and acceptance of differences—without this understanding of diversity, relationships in society are going to be very difficult indeed!

References

Fiske, A. P. (1991). Structures of social life: The four elementary forms of human relations: Communal sharing, authority ranking, equality matching, market pricing. Free Press.

Heine, S. J. (2011). Cultural psychology (2nd ed.). New York: W.W. Norton.

Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. London: McGraw-Hill.

Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological review, 98(2), 224.

Super, C. M., & Harkness, S. (1986). The developmental niche: A conceptualization at the interface of child and culture. International journal of behavioral development, 9(4), 545-569.

Wang, Q. (2001). “Did you have fun?”: American and Chinese mother–child conversations about shared emotional experiences. Cognitive Development,16(2), 693-715.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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03
Oct 16

Gypsies

Diversity is quite an interesting concept. In essence, it is the formula that makes the human races unique. People have minds with the capacity to create various cultures that shape the core ways in which they think, behave and perceive the world. On the other hand, diversity has managed to become one of the greatest downfalls of mankind. It has caused various wars on religious beliefs, separation amongst people because of a lack on understanding and inequality because people are resilient to accept something other than the way they know it to be. One of the major areas we can see destruction of diversity is in the separation of the Roma gypsy population in various European metropolitan cities.

Continental Europe is roughly 3,997,929 square miles, composed of 27 different countries.[i] Each country has its own language, belief system, cuisine and worldview. Most major cities are melting pots, made up of people from every nation and culture. Normally, the inhabitants that flood these cities have moved to contribute something to the local society such as work, school, love and/or just mere pleasure.

However, amongst the immigrants living in cities such as Paris, France there is also the presence of those whom don’t contribute, such as Roma gypsy population. These people normally tend to live on the outskirts of the city, in poverty settings without substantial shelter or sanitation. Gypsies are known among Europeans to be thieves. They tend to migrate into cities and make their living by stealing from the general population. They organize themselves in a mafia or gang-like structure. There is a man at the head whom sends out women and children to beg on the streets and in touristic areas. They teach the children how to pick pocket at ages as young as 3 and 4 years old because they are immune from punishment until the age of 16. This is a major problem because it aids them in continuing to take form others what is not theirs without having to endure any type of penalty.

 

Additionally, the children brought up in gypsy communities are given no formal form of education. They do not attend schools in the country they reside nor are they taught to read and write in their mother tongue. Instead they are learning to beg, steal, and hate those whom oppose them. So, as this community continues to grow and take advantage of the system, the French continue to hate them back all the more.

For the French social system, the Romas are seen as a major issue. The French are resilient to have any form of compassion or understanding for these people. They want them out but the law won’t permit it; therefore, they’ve found their only resolve is to be passionately angry. They see them as a hopeless cause and even more so as an enemy. French resent the fact that they have to pay such high taxes to allow people such as gypsies to cheat their system and rob from them that they are not willing to fins any solution to help them. They are completely incapable of seeing a gypsy as anything other than the stereotype, even the children. As a result, the two communities continue to hate each other while remaining in the same house.

The great problem here is that when people are different they can put one another down. The French don’t see the gypsies as people worthy of helping and the gypsies don’t see the French as people worth respecting. Because the two are diverse, they can’t see eye to eye and therefore have yet been able to coexist togethe

[i] Rosenberg, Matt. “How Big Are the Continents?” About.com Education. About.com, 16 Jan. 2016. Web. 01 Oct. 2016. <http://geography.about.com/od/lists/a/largecontinent.htm>.

 

Image: Laccino, Ludovica. “Roma-only Bus Route in Montepellier: 5 Countries Where Romani People Suffer Discrimination.” International Business Times. International Business Times, 13 Apr. 2015. Web. <http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/roma-only-bus-route-montepellier-5-countries-where-romani-people-suffer-discrimination-1496193>.

 

 

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28
Sep 16

The Jigsaw Classroom

One of the greatest advancements in teaching and most successful examples of applied social psychology originated in the 1970s with Elliot Aronson’s jigsaw classroom. Aronson’s intervention applied Gordon Allport’s (1954/1979) contact hypothesis, which posited that placing groups in a situation in which they must work together toward a common goal given a supportive environment and equivalent status and power, to the classroom. Yet all great ideas must start somewhere, and for Aronson, his began with a phone call.

By 1971, Aronson had become head of the University of Texas’ social psychology department, and a former student of his reached out to discuss something the professor had taught him years ago (Aronson, 2001). The student, who himself was now an assistant superintendent in the Austin school district, was encountering fights and riots between the black, white, and Hispanic students after desegregation (Aronson, 2001; Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2013). In response, Aronson (2001), with the help of some of his graduate students, developed an intervention inspired by Allport’s (1954/1979) contact hypothesis and Muzafer Sherif and colleague’s (1961) Robbers Cave Experiment (Aronson & Bridgeman, 1979; as cited in Kwantes, Bergeron, & Kaushal, 2012). This intervention would come to be known as the jigsaw classroom.

Jigsaw Classroom

(Jigsaw Classroom, 2016)

Students in a jigsaw classroom may not seem to be all that different on the surface. Like many classrooms, jigsaw students learn together in small groups of four to seven students (Blaney et al., 1977), although six is now a common figure (Aronson et al., 2013). Members are assigned to the group to represent a diverse mix of backgrounds, but what is truly different is that instead of learning from a teacher, jigsaw students learn from each other:  Each member is assigned the responsibility of learning one particular part of the lesson and teaching this part to the others (Blaney et al., 1977; Aronson & Bridgeman, 1979; Aronson et al., 2013). The students, then, are interdependent on each other to reach a common goal, and since each would not know the same information as the others did, their status was made equivalent, just like Allport’s (1954/1979) contact hypothesis would necessitate. In as little as one hour a day (Aronson, 2001), the jigsaw intervention can have wide-reaching implications within and outside the classroom.

These implications have been found and replicated many times over the years since Aronson’s first intervention. Within the group, students actually start to listen to, respect, and like one another (Blaney et al., 1977; Aronson et al., 2013). But the effects of the jigsaw classroom go far beyond intragroup relations. In addition to liking and respect their fellow group members more, students in jigsaw classrooms also show a remarkable decrease in prejudice and stereotyping, perform better on standardized tests, say they like school more, and have higher self-esteem than students in comparison to students in traditional classrooms (Blaney et al., 1977; Aronson et al., 2013). Minority students, in particular, tend to flourish after the jigsaw intervention (Blaney et al., 1977). This may be related to the negative stereotypes with which students from racial and ethnic minorities are often publicly regarded.

Given the remarkable effects of the jigsaw intervention, it is no surprise it is widely implemented. Aronson (2001) estimates that 15 to 18 percent of all schools in America have used his jigsaw classroom intervention, but it might be safe to say he may feel this remarkable number is still insufficient. To Aronson (2001), the “cliquish atmosphere of rejection and humiliation” found in schools makes “30 percent to 40 percent” of students “very, very unhappy,” creating a climate that potentially leads to conflicts ranging from teasing and bullying to suicide and acts of violence. His jigsaw classroom, however, may be one solution to all of these problems. Aronson (2001) thinks his intervention can be used to break down cliques of every kind, from nerds to jocks and from social class to popularity, and “There’s no bigger, stronger clique than race. And we overcame that.” Bold as these claims may be, there is some evidence to back them up.

Remarkable as the aforementioned short-term effects of the jigsaw classroom intervention are, their long-term results may suggest real and lasting behavioral and attitudinal change. Six weeks after a jigsaw classroom intervention, students playing at recess were far more racially mixed than were students at schools without the intervention (Aronson, 2001). Even five or ten years later, Aronson (2001) still receives letters from students and teachers describing lasting effects on empathy and self-esteem. In fact, one notable letter came from one of the students in Aronson’s first jigsaw class.

While a junior at the University of Texas–the same school at which Aronson developed the jigsaw classroom intervention–a man recognized himself, referred to by the pseudonym “Carlos,” in Aronson’s book The Social Animal and wrote to him about the difference the jigsaw experience made in his life. Under that pseudonym, Carlos (1982) wrote that when Aronson came into his 5th grade classroom, “I hated school” and felt “I was so stupid and didn’t know anything,” but “when we started to do work in jigsaw groups, I began to realize that I wan’t really that stupid.” The children he felt were bullies became his friends, “the teacher acted friendly and nice to me and I actually began to love school” so much that, at the time of his letter, he was about to go on to Harvard Law School. To Carlos (1982), Aronson and his jigsaw classroom saved his life. Who knows how many of the thousands of other children exposed to jigsaw interventions might feel the same?

 

References

Allport, G.W. (1979). The nature of prejudice (Rev. ed.). The nature of prejudice. Reading, MA:  Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Original work published (1954).

Aronson, E. (2001, March 27). A conversation with Elliot Aronson / Interviewer:  Susan Gilbert [Published interview]. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/27/health/a-conversation-with-elliot-aronson-no-one-left-to-hate-averting-columbines.html

Aronson, E., & Bridgeman, D. (1979). Jigsaw groups and the desegregated classroom:  In pursuit of common goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 5(4), 438-446. doi:10.1177/014616727900500405

Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D., & Akert, R.M. (2013). Social Psychology (8th Ed.) Boston, MA:  Pearson.

Blaney, N.T., Stephan, C., Rosenfield, D., Aronson, E., & Sikes, ,J. (1977). Interdependence in the classroom:  A field study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 69(2), 121-128. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.69.2.121

Carlos. (1982). A letter from Carlos. Rpt. by Jigsaw Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.jigsaw.org/history/carlos.html

Jigsaw Classroom. (2016). Logo [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.jigsaw.org/

Kwantes, C.T., Bergeron, S., & Kaushal, R. (2012). Chapter 14:  Applying social psychology to diversity. In F.W. Schneider, J.A. Gruman, & L.M. Coutts (Eds.) Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing
social and practical problems (2nd ed.) (323-347). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

 

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27
Sep 16

New POTUS job requirement: “A presidential look”

What, exactly, comprises the “presidential look” that according to Republican candidate Donald Trump, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton lacks? Although he demurs when asked for specifics, stating “I’m just talking about general,” (Parker, 2016), it can be concluded based on his former comments about women in general and former female political opponent Carly Fiorina in particular that there are gender politics at play in his remarks (Estepa, 2015). Unfortunately, Trump is not alone in his doubts about whether someone who looks like Clinton (i.e. female) would be able to project the aura of authority the office of the Presidency requires. The uncomfortable truth is that hidden sexism operates in our society, and many of us are uneasy with seeing women in a powerful role.

Penn State psychology professor Terri Vescio explains the gender bias that operates in the political sphere as a “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” situation, in which “the more female politicians are seen as striving for power, the less they’re trusted and the more moral outrage gets directed at them…[because] if you’re perceived as competent, you’re not perceived as warm. But if you’re liked and trusted, you’re not seen as competent” (Bush, 2016). This catch-22 for women in politics (and in business) undermines their support among both men and women, and because much of it is implicit bias, it is often unrecognized. For example, even within the Obama administration female staffers often had to struggle to make their voices heard until they struck upon a strategy of “amplification” whereby they mutually drew attention to each other’s significant contributions in order ensure that the proper party received credit for the idea (Eilperin, 2016). I point this out in order to be clear that sexism is an issue that transcends political party affiliation, and therefore we all stand to lose out if valuable contributions from women are silenced by oppression either blatant or subtle.

Hostile sexism is easier to recognize for what it is, but there is another side to sexism that is more insidious: benevolent sexism. For example, I would describe myself as a feminist, but when I took the “Are You Sexist” quiz offered by PBS.org, my results indicated that I hold a fair degree of subtle gender prejudice:

screen-shot-2016-09-26-at-4-06-57-pmI encourage you to click the link above and see your own results – you might be surprised at what you learn about yourself. Anyone familiar with the Harvard implicit bias tests will recall that we don’t have to hold explicitly negative beliefs about others to be influenced by bias. Our implicit beliefs can lead us to behave in a manner which is discriminatory while we simultaneously think of ourselves as fair and considerate.

When you combine elements of hostile and benevolent sexism you get ambivalent sexism. We can see the interplay of these elements in Donald Trump’s statements about women, both positive and negative. Recently, professor Peter Glick, who along with Susan Fiske proposed the tripartite understanding of sexism stated, “Trump’s views are consistent with conventional ideologies that view women as wonderful…but with a catch” (Glick, 2016).

“Heterosexual men’s intimate interdependence on women (as objects of desire, wives, and mothers), fosters a ‘benevolent’ side to sexism. Benevolent sexism encompasses genuine warmth toward women, but only when they support rather than challenge men’s status, power, and privileges” (Glick, 2016).

Regardless of which candidate we choose to vote for in the upcoming election, I hope that we will all pay closer attention to our own assumptions about gender and competence. Often we hold women to different standards than men without realizing that we are doing so. In light of what I’ve learned in in this course (particularly Swim and Hyer’s (1991) research regarding women’s responses to sexist comments), I will not only strive to resist social pressure to silence myself, but will also do more to support other women as they work to make their voices heard. If enough men and women do the same, perhaps we can arrive at a point sometime in the future when saying that a female political candidate doesn’t look “presidential” will fail to cause some of us to nod in agreement.

Resources:

Allen, J. (2016, July 21). Anti-Hillary Clinton rhetoric has become dangerous and violent. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from American, http://www.rushhourdaily.com/anti-hillary-clinton-rhetoric-become-dangerous-violent/

Bush, D. The hidden sexism that could sway the election. Retrieved September 26, 2016, from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/features/hidden-sexism/

Eilperin, J. (2016, September 13). White house women want to be in the room where it happens. Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/09/13/white-house-women-are-now-in-the-room-where-it-happens/

Estepa, J. (2015, September 10). Donald Trump on Carly Fiorina: “Look at that face!” . Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/09/10/trump-fiorina-look-face/71992454/

Glick, P. (2016). Benevolent sexism and the art of the deal. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-enquiry/201609/benevolent-sexism-and-the-art-the-deal

Parker, A. (2016, September 7). Donald Trump says Hillary Clinton Doesn’t have “a presidential look.” Politics. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/07/us/politics/donald-trump-says-hillary-clinton-doesnt-have-a-presidential-look.html

Santhanam, L. (2016, August 10). Are you sexist? Take this quiz. . Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/are-you-sexist-take-this-quiz/

 

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04
Oct 15

One of These Things is Not Like the Other

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZci3eOafK0

“One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn’t belong” is a song from Sesame Street that has stuck in my head for many years. Although, one might assume it to be harmless, it is a lesson that teaches children to focus on the differences, rather than the similarities. This form of cognitive training teaches us to see people that may be different than ourselves in the same manner, which is that they don’t belong. In all honesty, I have sung this as a joke, when I have been the minority in a certain situation (example: only girl in the room or oldest student in class). From early on, we are socialized to process information this way. Unfortunately, this is a major aspect of how our society works in general. This manner of thinking has caused conflict among diverse groups.

More often than not, rather than seeking and identifying a common ground with others, what is observed are the differences that exist in race, gender, sex, ethnicity, religion, social status, education, tax bracket, and even age. When these aspects differ than our own personal and social identity traits we consider the other party a member of the “out group,” without fully processing aspects that could assimilate them to one’s in-group. According to the social dominance theory, if the individual has negative social value this categorizing or separation is done in an attempt to protect the in-group to which we belong and to protect the status and power in the hierarchy along with resources. Identifying and protecting one’s place in all of this seems to be how one is able to identify best with one’s self. Therefore, if an individual has determined that a person is indeed a member of the out-group and considers them a threat, then as social identity theory predicts, the in-group individual will protect their group under these conditions and there is potential for conflict.

From early on, we are socialized to also look for those who most resemble ourselves, as we are repeatedly taught to find someone who we have something in common with, as a worthy friend or partner. Why wouldn’t we be encouraged and encourage others to seek out people who are different and that could enrich our lives with more knowledge, open mindedness, more tolerance, and more understanding? This type of motivating factor for choosing our in-group occurs socially and occupationally. Often one’s differences can be an obstacle in opportunities and promotions, particularly if they are not a part of the in-group that those in power belong to.

Diversity is present wherever one may turn, in everyday living. Whether it be interactions in school, work, business, finance, in the services we receive, and even at the grocery store. It is only logical that we attempt to find ways to improve inter-group relations. Diversity can present positive and negative opportunities, it appears that the outcome is based on whether stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination communication and or respect are present. One intervention that has supported that the potential exists to improve inter-group relationships is “contact”, where equal, but diverse groups are able to better acquaint and understand each other, through contact and by finding a similar goal to work on (Bikmen, 2011). This intervention can improve bias or discrimination that may have existed. Diversity management in the workplace or helping children de-categorize in school can also improve inter-group relationships, correct biases and stereotypes (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012).

Geert Hofdtede so eloquently explained cultural diversity as the differences in the “software” in each individual’s mind, (which includes experiences, culture, race, gender, values, socialization) but that we all have the same basic hardware, which is the biological brain (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). With this thought in mind, it should be less of a challenge to consider similarities and attempt to find ways to respect and be considerate of other people’s culture.  It has been suggested that cultural responsiveness is a way to exist within and among diversity and differences. This concept is based on exploring and honoring the differences of others, instead of attempting to change them and “requires openness to the viewpoints, thoughts, and experiences of others” (Williams, 2012). Perhaps, if we can modify our belief system about “otherness” as a negative thing, from the messages we have been taught so early on, about things that are different not belonging (Sesame Street – One Of These Things, 2007) then less conflict would occur.

References

Bikmen, N. (2011). Asymmetrical Effects of Contav=ct Between Minority Groups: Asian and Black Students in a Small College. American Psychological Association, 186-194. Retrieved September 28, 2015, from http://search.proquest.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/868623879?accountid=13158

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psycholgy: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). California: Sage Publicationss.

Sesame Street – One Of These Things. (2007, July 1). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etuPF1yJRzg

Sesame Street – One of These Things. (2015, Masy 18). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZci3eOafK0

Williams, L. Q. (2012, December 30). How to Accept and Respect other Cultures. Retrieved October 3, 2015, from HUB Pages:Sociology and Anthropology: http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Accept-and-Respect-other-Cultures

 

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03
Oct 15

Decisions – Consulting Myself or the Group?

Being employed in a setting that promotes diversity is one of the biggest benefits one can experience.  I realized this firsthand, as I moved from traditionally small companies to larger organizations throughout my career.  Although you may not realize it, interacting with different groups provides an advantage in helping you to develop an appreciation of different cultures and also experience new things as a result. Such exposure can also help you relate to others (co-workers, supervisors, customers, associates, etc.) and aid in instances such this – writing a blog to complete an assignment.  As I share my story with you, I encourage you to think of your own environments and see how it has enriched your cultural experience.

Ehtesham was a very different type of fellow to me at 21-years-old.  Although I grew up in the heart of Washington, D.C., during this time, the area did not offer diversity as you now see it.  “Shawn” as I affectionately called him, was Pakistani and just moved to America about a year before starting employment with my new company.  Since it was a small business, there wasn’t much diversity until he walked through the doors. Being naturally curious, I wanted to know more about him as I observed him eating different foods and exhibiting different attitudes that were a bit foreign to me.  While I would not have considered myself closedminded, my interaction with Shawn showed me how guarded I was.  For example, he offered a chicken samosa to me as a kind gesture and a form of friendship, since I didn’t know what it was, I was uneasy taking it.  I did not want to try anything new as I was fearful for whatever reason.  However, I eventually tried one (a few months later) and fell in love with the tasty meat pastry.  This extension of friendship, actually made me try other things and I am now more willing to see if I like or dislike by testing it first.

Trying new cuisines was just the beginning.  The real learning experience occurred when I begin viewing family interactions – it was then that I saw a different world from what I have come to know.  As we sat around the table eating dinner one day, the topic of marriage arose and Shawn asked me when will my parents select my husband.  I thought to myself, what kind of question is this?  My parents picking my husband?!  With a raised eyebrow, I responded that “I will choose the man I marry after we fall in love.”  Being around Shawn for a while during this time, I understood when his mother asked in Urdu why my parents weren’t arranging my marriage.  I explained that we usually choose our own husbands and it is an individual choice.  His mother seemed stumped by this, as well as the rest of the family, as they could not understand why we would do such a thing.  I then asked Shawn when he will marry and he stated that his parents will choose his bride since that decision will impact his family – “it’s an alliance.” Now I sat there stumped and didn’t know how to recover from the discussion.

Oyserman and Lee, along with Triandis (as cited in Schneider et al., 2012) describe such interactions as being the basis of individualism and collectivism.  With America being an individualized culture, many of the decisions we make will be based on what we think is right, not a decision made collectively.  As the authors note, an “idiocentric” makes decisions on their own despite what others may think or say (Schneider et al., 2012, p. 326).  Conversely, an “allocentric” person makes decisions based on the best interests of the group (Schneider et al., 2012, p. 326) which in Shawn’s case would consider his family.  Their values and structure did not change simply because they came to America, rather they traveled with them and the transition to the United States afford the family an opportunity to amass wealth – not change family traditions.

There were many other moments that I learned about the Pakistani culture from Shawn and I have taken the opportunity to do the same with others and their respective cultures in new environments. So now as I sit here typing this blog, I can reflect on the rich experiences that have followed me throughout both my professional and academic career.  It’s not always easy to break out of your comfort zone, but I guarantee once you do, you will enjoy what you learn along the way.

 

Reference:

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., & Coutts, L. (Eds.). (2012). Applied social psychology: understanding and addressing social and practical problems (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.

 

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04
Oct 14

Benevolent Sexism Is Not Benign

By Amy Caraballo

Benevolent sexism, discriminatory attitudes in the form of caring, complimentary, or pseudo-respectful statements, is likely one of the most surreptitious forms of sexism in our world, today. Studies have found that it is an important perpetuating factor that helps maintain gender inequality (Hammond, et al., 2014). Even more troubling is that victims sometimes pass on and encourage these attitudes believing them to be compliments or signs of respect (Hammond, et al., 2014). One only has to visit the Internet meme world to find hundreds of benevolent sexist examples, many of which are circulated by the most common victims, women and girls. It is difficult to understand how victims could spread harmful stereotypes about themselves. When one looks closer, however, the issue becomes clear; the effects of benevolent sexism are so pervasive and invisible, its victims are often completely unaware they have been wronged. Instead, it seems they sometimes believe they are empowered.

When the Powerful Dominate the Powerless

Sexist Message: A woman's purpose is to serve a man's every need.

Sexist Message: A woman’s purpose is to serve a man’s every need. Credit: lovethispic.com

Social Dominance Theory suggests that groups, including societies, are built upon group-based hierarchies with a few dominant groups controlling all the resources and power. The rest are all subordinate groups, or low-level groups that have few resources and little power. These groups are typically at the mercy of the dominant groups (Pratto, et al., 2006). In the case of gender in our society, classic males are dominant while classic females are subordinate. It is not just brute force and power that keeps the subordinates in their place, either. Helping maintain these hierarchies are more subtle tools such as legitimizing myths, otherwise known as culturally held beliefs (Pratto, et al., 2006). Much like folklore, legitimizing myths are beliefs and stereotypes about the way things are in a given culture or society. It is from these legitimizing myths benevolent sexist ideas were born and continue to be maintained. Statements like “women are caregivers” while “men are providers” and “girls are dainty and sensitive” while “boys are strong and thick-skinned” are examples of legitimizing myths about genders. These ideals are conditioned at the moment of birth by the type of words children hear at home, the influences of endless media exposure, and the influence of peers (Witt, 2000). Later, when these myths are woven into compliments and caring statements, it is harder to see the malicious intent which ultimately is to keep the genders unequal.

But It Was Meant as a Compliment

“Women are too emotionally unstable to be leaders.”

It is pretty clear, to most people, that this remark is sexist. But what about this comment?

“Women are better caregivers because they are nurturing.”

Sexist Message: A woman needs to be protected by a man and should be kept in her place.

Sexist Message: A woman needs to be protected by a man and should be kept in her place. Credit: all-greatquotes.com

It sounds a bit like a compliment to women. When we look closer, however, a sexist message is noticed; women should raise children. There is also a sexist message toward men; men are not supposed to be nurturing. If your thoughts turn toward examples of people who fit these stereotypes, thank legitimizing myths for shaping how society views and pigeonholes gender roles.

Compliments Do Not Hurt Anyone

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Sexist Message: Girls are too emotional. Credit: theteenagerquotes.tumblr.com

It may be true that a real compliment is honoring. Benevolent sexist remarks, however, are not true compliments. Benevolent sexist remarks help spread the stereotype of the weak, frail, and emotionally unstable female (Tannenbaum, 2013). Additionally, studies have shown that women exposed to benevolent sexist attitudes were more likely to give in to those stereotypes thus maintaining their own gender inequality (Tannenbaum, 2013).

Where Do We Go From Here?

In order to stop the legitimacy of these cultural myths we have to do better at educating the public. We need awareness about what benevolent sexism is and how prevalent it has become. We can only fight back against such sexism once we understand what it is and how to recognize when its used. We must speak up when we hear it or see it and not condone its use by remaining silent. We must teach children to recognize this form of sexism and how to respond to its wrongful messages.

We must remove the invisibility cloak of this form of sexism and see it for what it is. Only then can we begin to aspire for gender equality. Benevolent sexism is not empowering. It is not benign. And certainly it is harmful to a society that strives for equal opportunity.

Hammond, M. D., Sibley, C. G., & Overall, N. C. (2014). The allure of sexism: Psychological entitlement fosters women’s endorsement of benevolent sexism over time. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 5(4), 422-429. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1948550613506124

Pratto, F., Sidanius, J., & Levin, S. (2006). Social dominance theory and the dynamics of intergroup relations: Taking stock and looking forward. European Review of Social Psychology, 17, 271-320.

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., Coutts, L. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.

Tannenbaum, M. (2013). The Problem When Sexism Just Sounds So Darn Friendly… PsySociety, Scientific American Blog Network. Scientific American Global. Retrieved October 4, 2014, at: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/psysociety/2013/04/02/benevolent-sexism/

Witt, S. D. (2000). The influence of peers on children’s socialization to gender roles. Early Child Development and Care, 162, 1-7. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0300443001620101

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