Norms Shape Research Articles

The role of (in)congruence modes between supervisor prescriptive and descriptive norms on employee green behavior

Integrating the social norm perspective and regulatory focus theory, this research expands the current understanding of how and why (in)congruence modes between supervisor prescriptive and descriptive norms shape voluntary and required employee green behaviors (EGBs) through a regulatory focus process. It tests a proposed model with two independent studies: an experiment manipulating both supervisor prescriptive and descriptive norms of EGB (US tourism and hospitality employees in Study 1) and a field survey study measuring both supervisor-reported prescriptive and descriptive norms of EGB (Chinese hospitality employees in Study 2). Results reveal that the congruence/incongruence between supervisor prescriptive and descriptive norms of EGB has a positive relationship on voluntary/required EGB through employee promotion/prevention focus of EGB, respectively. This research provides more nuanced understandings into the psychological mechanism that explains how the self-regulatory focus of EGB mediates the interactive influences of supervisor prescriptive and descriptive norms of EGB on voluntary and required EGBs.

How Norms Shape the Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics

AbstractHow should ideology be understood, and should we be concerned if Americans lack it? Combining widely used survey questions with an incentivized coordination game, we separately measure individuals’ own policy preferences and their knowledge of what other ideological group members expect them to believe. This allows us to distinguish knowledge of ideological norms—what liberals and conservatives believe ought to go with what—from adherence to those norms. We find that a nontrivial portion of those reporting ideologically inconsistent preferences do so knowingly, suggesting their lack of ideological constraint can be attributed to pragmatism rather than innocence. Additionally, a question order experiment reveals that priming ideological norms before measuring policy preferences promotes ideological adherence, suggesting ideological constraint is at least partially attributable to norm‐conformity pressure. Together, these findings raise the question whether ideology is actually desirable or if it instead allows elites to reverse the direction of accountability.

Culture as Context: A Five-Country Study of Discretionary Green Workplace Behavior

To understand the conditions that support employee green behavior across cultures, we develop and test a conceptual model that describes how normative cues from work team leaders and peers in combination with country cultural norms shape discretionary green workplace behavior. Data from 1,605 employees in five countries indicate that power distance moderates the positive relationships observed between the discretionary green workplace behavior of leaders and their subordinates. In addition, an observed positive relationship between team green advocacy and individual discretionary green workplace behavior held across both collectivistic and individualistic cultures, contrary to our predictions. By taking macro-level cultural context into account and examining its interplay with lower-level work team norms, the study makes a significant contribution to understanding and intervening employees’ discretionary green behavior at work.

Who carries the baby? How lesbian couples in the Netherlands choose birth motherhood.

The purpose of the study is to contribute to an understanding of the cultural and normative meaning of birth motherhood and how lesbian couples decide who carries the child. The decision of who carries the child is central in lesbian family-making, carrying consequences for life after birth. Even so, it has been relatively overlooked in research. Drawing from the sociology of personal life and Park's (2013) conceptualization of monomaternalism, we study how informants consider and decide birth motherhood. Semistructured interviews with both partners in 21 pregnant lesbian couples in the Netherlands were thematically analyzed. The meaning of birth motherhood was ambivalent, linked to femininity, socially recognized motherhood, and biogenetic imaginaries. In couples where both wanted to carry, age, which carried different symbolic meanings, was a powerful tiebreaker. Our study shows how the monomaternalist norm shapes conceptualizations of birth motherhood. Desires to experience pregnancy are strong for many. Referring to age can be a way for couples to defuse tension, but it can also be a resource drawn upon to close further negotiations. Our study carries implications for policy makers, health care workers, and mothers-to-be. Scholarly, it illuminates the ways in which motherhood, in its various forms, is perceived and recognized.

I Am Not a ‘Hero’: U.S. Nurses’ Identity Overlaps and Conflict During COVID-19

ABSTRACT The current COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies a crisis that is redefining the meaning of communication for many. Metaphors like the “hero” trope are being used to represent our frontline employees, such as nurses who work directly with COVID-19 patients. However, we know very little about how these tropes influence the identities of these nurses and how it impacts their work. This article draws on social identity theory and key works related to role and identity conflict to look at nurses’ perceptions of the hero trope being used to define them during this crisis. The study involved 23 semi-structured interviews with nurses from the United States who were working with COVID-19 patients. Nurses described how, due to COVID-19—especially in light of the hero trope – multiple identities became salient during the pandemic. Many of the identity overlaps were minimized during this time as the trope modified the meaning of how some norms around these different sub-identities were understood. This also highlights the role of communication in shaping and modifying group identity norms during crises, thus suggesting an integration of SIT with the constructivist or even some level of poststructural perspective. As a consequence of the pandemic and the minimized overlaps between the identities, nurses felt more self-doubt or failure, which impacted their overall psychological well-being as well as their efficacy at work. Nurses used communication strategies such as providing reminders, separating myth from reality, and directly approaching their managers, to cope with the identity conflicts.

The Love Child and the State: Transnational Family Formation in Guangzhou

Abstract Transnational families are becoming more common in China. They emerge within a social system that is designed for sedentary rather than mobile lives and favours two-parent households over other family forms. Chinese citizens who have children with foreigners must navigate national and local bureaucratic institutions while building and maintaining social relations in transnational fields. The bureaucratic challenges associated with transnational family formation can cause emotional and financial friction within intimate relationships, while gender norms shape how various family members manage these frictions. Gender and race intersect through the ways ethnic boundary crossings are judged differently for men and women, while immigration status affects prospects for meeting gender-specific expectations in romantic relationships. Drawing upon data from ethnographic fieldwork among Chinese−African families in a multi-ethnic neighbourhood in Guangzhou, the article explores tensions that arise as families pursue cosmopolitan aspirations at the same time as they struggle to access basic welfare services and legal and social recognition of their family relationships.

What is it like to live with obesity in Peninsular Malaysia? A qualitative study.

SummaryUnderstanding the experience of people living with obesity is crucial for delivering holistic care relevant to the socio‐cultural context. Although half of the Malaysian adults have excessive weight, the lived experience of people with obesity in the Malaysian context is not well studied. Using the principles of hermeneutic phenomenology, this study explores the lived experience of adults with obesity in Malaysia and their perspective on the environmental influences on obesity. Participants were adults from Peninsular Malaysia living with obesity recruited from social media, clinics and snowball sampling. Twenty‐five teleconference interviews in Malay were audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed inductively using a reflexive thematic analysis approach, and quotes were translated into English. We identified five themes: (1) Malaysian life is centred around food; (2) social norms shape people living with obesity's perceptions of themselves and obesity; (3) people living with obesity are physically restricted by their body; (4) people living with obesity have repeated thoughts about efforts to lose weight; and (5) stigmatization of people living with obesity leads to negative emotions. Socio‐cultural influences were highly impactful on participants' lifeworld, and these influences need to be considered in clinical practice and policy for obesity management in Malaysia. Clinical management should focus on assisting patients in navigating the unsupportive food and social environment instead of overfocusing on the individual's responsibility for weight reduction.

From cooperation to conflict: The role of collective narratives in shaping group behaviour

AbstractIn this paper, we review the concept of collective narratives and their role in shaping group behaviour. We see collective narratives as ‘meta‐stories’ embraced by groups that incorporate values and beliefs about social reality, therefore providing a blueprint for group norms which, in turn, inform group members' behaviour. Our aim is to both describe the psychological processes underpinning the relation between collective narratives and group behaviours and develop an integrative typology of the functions of collective narratives (as they connect to various collective behaviours). We start by discussing definitions in the recent literature and propose an integrative conceptualisation which positions collective narratives in the context of collective action research. Next, we focus on the process by which collective narratives provide the bases for identity formation, development, and change, thus shaping group behaviour. We see collective narratives as central in understanding group behaviour, as they function as ‘meta‐stories’ that incorporate moral codes and values, and beliefs about the ingroups and outgroups—providing a blueprint for group norms which, in turn, inform group members' behaviour. In the second part of the article, we describe a typology of collective narratives according to their functions, structured around two core dimensions: the context/s in which collective narratives develop and are shared (i.e., intragroup vs. intergroup) and their effects within these contexts (i.e., driving consensus vs. driving dissent). We identify four distinctive types of collective narrative functions and review research showing how each of them shapes specific social identity content, including behaviour prescribing norms. We then show how these specific norms shape behaviours ranging from cooperation and pro‐social action to hostile intergroup conflict. The implications of this contribution are twofold. First, by providing a systematic account and categorisation of how collective narratives function in society and of their connections to social identities (and their content), we can more accurately deduct group norms and predict behaviours in specific circumstances, including in relation to political violence. Second, by better understanding the narratives that provide the bases of identity formation, development, and change, we can improve attempts to create alternative narratives that unify rather than divide people, so that pathways to co‐operation might be chosen over conflict.

Localisation of humanitarian action in War-torn Countries: The experience of local NGOs in Yemen

Localisation has recently emerged as one of the most prevalent global norms shaping humanitarian reform towards more locally-led response as a corrective to power imbalances in the humanitarian system. The concept of localisation however remains subject to much debate and the practical complexities of localised humanitarian response have not yet been fully unpacked. This paper explores the meaning of – and challenges to – localisation of humanitarian action through a case-study of local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in war-torn Yemen. Drawing on empirical fieldwork including interviews with international and local NGOs, it analyses the practical, logistical, and political obstacles to the application of localisation and explores the conceptualisations of locally-embedded actors. The paper finds that whilst some progress has been made in terms of technical-operational localisation despite highly challenging conditions, genuine localisation viewed as empowerment that disrupts hierarchical aid relationships has not been actualized. Finally, the paper explores the policy and practice implications of the findings and suggests areas for further research.

Factors Limiting Modern Contraceptive Use in Zing Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria

This study was set out to find out factors influencing contraceptive use among women in Zing Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria. The study was triggered by the fact that despite various interventions and awareness on the need to use contraceptives, the usage is still very low in Nigeria, most especially the Northern Nigeria which Zing Local Government Area of Taraba State is inclusive. The broad aim of the study was to investigate the factors influencing contraceptive use among women in Zing Local Government of Taraba State, however, the specific objectives were: to find out socio-economic factors, cultural factors,s and religious factors influencing contraceptives among women in Zing L.G.A. Taraba. A review of the related literature was based on the objectives of the study. The data were collected mainly through questionnaires, while official documentation and observations were employed as supplementary tools. The data were analyzed via the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study finds out that contraceptive use is against religious teachings and not approved by religion furthermore cultural factors that influence contraceptives are demand for children, partners’ decisions, contraceptives limits population infertility, myths, and misinformation. Other reasons for the disapproval of contraceptives include serious side effects, and there is no need for it since they are legally married and children are gifts from God. The study however recommended that Public enlightenment on contraception should start from antenatal clinics, religious leaders should be involved as change agents for shaping norms and influencing Behaviours related to family planning and contraceptives as well as the need for stakeholders in the state to find ways of increasing the use of family planning services by making it attractive to the women through incentives, especially among those living in the rural areas of the state.

Gender differences in the association between unmet support service needs and mental health among American cancer caregivers.

Cancer caregiving can be distressing, and many caregivers have support service needs. Given the role gender has played in shaping norms around caring, gender may influence caregiving experiences. Using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, 2015-2018, we aimed to examine gender as an effect modifier of the unmet support service needs and mental health association among cancer caregivers. Our n = 5814 sample represented approximately 4.8 million caregivers. Mental health was operationalized as number of mentally unhealthy days over the past 30 (MUDs) and Frequent Mental Distress (FMD, MUDs ± 14days). Unmet supportive care needs included endorsement of needing but not receiving caregiving classes, help accessing services, support groups, counseling, and respite care. We conducted zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) and logistic regression analyses to examine the associations between unmet needs with MUDs and FMD and then tested gender as an effect modifier. Cancer caregivers reported an average of 6 MUDs. Approximately 20% of caregivers reported FMD, and 17% reported having any unmet needs. Gender moderated the unmet needs and FMD association. Among female caregivers, those with unmet needs were more likely to report FMD (aOR: 2.167; 95%CI: 1.447, 3.243); among male caregivers, no association was found (aOR: 0.970; 95%CI: 0.471, 2.001). In the ZINB model of MUDs, no significant moderation effect of gender was found. Though distress does not appear to vary by gender, having unmet support needs may negatively affect mental health in female cancer caregivers. Studies on gendered experiences can inform strategies to meet caregiver needs.

The role of minority discrimination and political participation in shaping majority perceptions of discrimination: Two cross-national studies

We develop a minority influence approach to multilevel intergroup research and examine whether country-level minority norms shape majority members’ perceptions of discrimination. Defining minority norms via actual minority discrimination and political participation, we hypothesized that in national contexts with greater minority experiences of discrimination and greater minority political participation, majority perceptions of discrimination should be higher. We implemented two cross-national multilevel studies drawing on the European Social Survey and Eurobarometer data with 19,392 participants in 22 countries in Study 1, and with 17,651 participants in 19 countries in Study 2. Higher aggregate levels of minority discrimination were not related to greater acknowledgment of discrimination among majority members. However, higher aggregate minority political participation did relate to higher perceptions of discrimination in Studies 1 and 2. We conclude that country-level minority norms are consequential for majority attitudes, but these norms need to be actively communicated through political participation.

Perceived Social Status and Ethnic Stratification—Evidence from Journalists in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

ABSTRACT Based on a survey of and in-depth interviews with journalists working in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, a politically sensitive area with a strong Muslim presence, this study examines how socioeconomic attainments and subjective norms shape journalists’ self-perceived status. Linking the study of journalists with social stratification theories, the data reveals that (1) The proportion of journalists who regard themselves as upper-middle and upper class is much higher than the proportion of the general public in this region and journalists in other regions in China. (2) Professional norms and the sense of achievement have more significant influence than income and education in shaping journalists’ perceived social status. (3) The ethnic variation of self-perceived social status is manifested through different reference-grouping processes. As the first study on perceived social status of journalists in this region, these findings contribute to the general understanding of journalists, the government policies and the political and social landscape in this area.

When social class and social norms shape word of mouth about eco-friendly tourism businesses

This study aims to investigate the effect of two types of environmental messages (individualized vs. collective) on consumers’ word-of-mouth intention. This study also examines the moderating effects of consumers’ social class and eco-friendly social norms on word-of-mouth intention. Based on US participants recruited from an online panel platform, Study 1 reveals that individualized messages increase word-of-mouth of high-class individuals, whereas collective messages enhance word-of-mouth of low-class individuals. Study 2 showcases that individualized messages boost word-of-mouth among consumers whose eco-friendly social norms are low. Conversely, regardless of individualized and collective messages, word-of-mouth intention is invariantly high among consumers whose eco-friendly social norms are high. Hotel managers should leverage proxies for social class, survey their customers to gauge eco-friendly social norms, and tailor environmental messages accordingly.

Testing the Effectiveness of the Health Belief Model in Predicting Preventive Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Romania and Italy.

We use a cultural psychology approach to examine the relevance of the Health Belief Model (HBM) for predicting a variety of behaviors that had been recommended by health officials during the initial stages of the COVID-19 lockdown for containing the spread of the virus and not overburdening the health system in Europe. Our study is grounded in the assumption that health behavior is activated based on locally relevant perceptions of threats, susceptibility and benefits in engaging in protective behavior, which requires careful attention to how these perceptions might be structured and activated. We assess the validity of the HBM in two European countries that have been relatively understudied, using simultaneous measurements during acute periods of infection in Romania and Italy. An online questionnaire provided a total of (N = 1863) valid answers from both countries. First, to understand individual difference patterns within and across populations, we fit a General Linear Model in which endorsement was predicted by behavior, country, their interaction, and a random effect for participants. Second, we assess the effect of demographics and health beliefs on prevention behaviors by fitting a multi-group path model across countries, in which each behavior was predicted by the observed health belief variables and demographics. Health beliefs showed stronger relationships with the recommended behaviors than demographics. Confirming previously reported relationships, self-efficacy, perceived severity, and perceived benefits were consistently related to the greater adoption of individual behaviors, whereas greater perceived barriers were related to lower adoption of health behaviors. However, we also point to important location specific effects that suggest that local norms shape protective behavior in highly contextualized ways.

Who is your Fitspiration? An Exploration of Strong and Weak Ties with Emotions, Body Satisfaction, and the Theory of Planned Behavior

ABSTRACT Physical inactivity has become an increasingly important concern for public health. “Fitspiration” social media posts may influence attitudes and intentions toward exercising. An online survey (N = 485) was conducted to examine the potential for fitspiration content from weak and strong ties to shape user emotions, attitudes, norms and behaviors related to exercising. Guided by the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and social cognitive theory (SCT), the results show that exposure to fitspiration content from both strong ties and weak ties were significant predictors of particular attitudes, norms, intentions, actual exercise frequency. However, our path analyses reveal significant indirect paths between exposure to fitspiration content and outcomes for weak ties through negative emotions (guilt), but only through positive emotions (hope and curiosity) for strong ties. Additionally, we found evidence that body satisfaction levels do matter in shaping the interrelationships between exposure to fitspiration content, emotions, and our outcome variables. In light of our results, we encourage researchers to consider the inclusion of emotional responses as antecedents to TPB outcomes and for practitioners to consider the role of source in campaign design.

Governing Cross-Border Data Flows: China’s Proposal and Practice

Beijing’s quest for a more prominent role in a changing international order requires greater ability to shape global rules and norms in emerging strategic domains like cyberspace. Cross-border data flows, an important driving force behind the digital economy, give rise to growing concerns about potential threats to national security and individual privacy. In contrast with the Western approach that focuses on maximum data freedom, China’s proposal for cross-border data governance prioritizes security, order, and development. Contrary to outside expectations that Beijing’s restrictive data policies allow little room for international alignment on data security governance, China has shown sufficient flexibility and open-mindedness in major international initiatives for norm setting and institution building. Moreover, Beijing insists that as a global common, cyberspace should not become a new battlefield of great power competition, but instead help advance the shared interests of developing nations.

The Development and Initial Validation of the Youth Sexual Intention Scale: Indonesian Version.

Interventions for the early sexual problem in adolescents require proper measurement of sexual intentions. The adolescent sexual intention scales have been widely used by researchers in the West. However, those scales are not very suitable for adolescents in eastern cultures such as Indonesia. As a religious society, Indonesian people have different sexual expectations from liberal western society. Religious teachings and societal norms shape sexual beliefs that reflect semi-restrictive sexual socialization. Thus, sexual intention measurement that represents the sexual beliefs of the subject under study becomes important. Therefore, this two-steps study aims to develop and validate the Youth Sexual Intention Scale (YSIS). In the first step, qualitative elaboration resulted in 27 themes of adolescent sexual beliefs, which turned into 31 items according to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). In the second step, we selected 396 students using the cluster random sampling technique. We investigated 2 methods of validity, content validity using CVI and construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The content validity examination proved that all scale items had high validity (CVI = .93). Meanwhile, the CFA showed that the data was fit for the model (Chi-square 819,420, P <.001, RMSEA = .056, CFI = .978, TLI = .972). The CFA groups items into 4 dimensions, namely, sexual attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and sexual intentions. The reliability test shows an Alpha coefficient of .854. We conclude that 26-items YSIS is a valid and reliable instrument to measure belief-based youth sexual intentions (15–18 years) in religious culture.

Keeping to the code: How local norms of friendship and dating inform macro-structures of adolescents’ romantic networks

Even though romantic partnerships are often understood as pairwise relationships, there is value in conceptualizing the dating patterns of adolescents as network phenomena, particularly as related to the spread of sexually transmitted infections. The current study adopts this perspective to evaluate how a local norm guiding the coexistence of dating and friendship informs macro-level romantic network structures. Using twelve months of romantic relationship data from the Peers and the Emergence of Adolescent Romance (PEAR) study, we find that the global dating network resembles a chain-like, spanning tree structure consistent with that observed by Bearman and colleagues (2004) in their foundational study. Then, through the application of temporal ERGMs, we uncover evidence that adolescents adhere to a social norm against dating their friends’ previous romantic partners. We use these findings to empirically ground a series of network simulations, which demonstrate that the romantic network’s structure becomes less redundant and more clustered as the norm against dating friends’ previous partners is relaxed. By understanding how local norms shape patterns of friendship and dating, we can better conceptualize the macro-level structural patterns of romantic networks and their implications for infectious disease diffusion.

What Are the Saudi Community Attitudes Towards Domestic Violence Against Women? A Cross-Sectional Study From Riyadh.

Culture and social norms shape attitudes towards domestic violence against women (DVAW). Attitudes accepting DVAW contribute to violence. There is scarce evidence about community attitudes towards DVAW in Saudi Arabia. The study explores the Saudi community attitudes towards DVAW. The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design using a self-report structured questionnaire to collect socio-demographic data and participants' attitudes towards DVAW. The study sample included 831 Saudi participants, 414 females and 417 males, between 18 and 79 years old. The majority of participants (69.5%) showed rejection of DVAW. Women were five times more likely to reject DVAW than men (OR = 5.19, 95% CI [3.6-7.4]). Participants with pre-university education and lower living standards reported rejection of DVAW compared to their counterparts. The results can help stakeholders develop strategies and awareness campaigns targeting different educational and living levels to minimize DVAW.