Is the racial composition of your surroundings associated with your levels of social dominance orientation?

Helena R M Radke,Fiona Kate Barlow,Michael Thai,Matthew J Hornsey,Chris G Sibley

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0186612

Helena R M Radke, Fiona Kate Barlow + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186612

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Abstract

We investigate the extent to which minority group members are surrounded by outgroup members in their immediate environment as a predictor of social dominance orientation. Using a large representative sample of New Zealanders, we found that minority group members in outgroup dense environments reported lower levels of social dominance orientation (Study 1). In studies 2 and 3, Asian Australian and Black American participants who were surrounded by outgroup members reported lower social dominance orientation. For majority group (White) participants there was no association between social dominance orientation and outgroup density. Study 4 explained the overall pattern: Black Americans surrounded by outgroup members perceived their group to be of lower status in their immediate environment, and through this, reported lower social dominance orientation. This article adds to growing literature on contextual factors that predict social dominance orientation, especially among minority group members.

Highlights

Few studies have investigated social dominance orientation (SDO) in minority groups
We propose that minority group members who are not surrounded by fellow ingroup members will see their own group as comparatively disadvantaged in their immediate environment, and this will be associated with a decrease in the extent to which they support hierarchical social structures
We conducted a regression assessing the link between the proportion of outgroup members in area units based on census data and the level of SDO of minority group members living in those neighborhoods

Summary

Introduction

Few studies have investigated social dominance orientation (SDO) in minority groups. This is surprising given that a portion of disadvantaged minority group members support hierarchical social structures that ostensibly marginalize them [1,2]. We make the case that the extent to which minority group members are surrounded by outgroup members is a (previously unexplored) predictor of SDO. We propose that minority group members who are not surrounded by fellow ingroup members will see their own group as comparatively disadvantaged in their immediate environment, and this will be associated with a decrease in the extent to which they support hierarchical social structures.

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