A Darker Side of Hope: Harmony-Focused Hope Decreases Collective Action Intentions Among the Disadvantaged

Abstract

Hope is viewed as a positive emotion associated with the motivation to change existing conditions. As such, it is highly relevant for social change, particularly when considering disadvantaged groups. We propose that, in the context of unequal intergroup relations, hope may actually undermine motivation for change among disadvantaged group members. Specifically, we distinguish between hope targeted at harmony with the outgroup and hope targeted at social equality between groups. Drawing on insights regarding the consequences of positive intergroup interactions, we predict that hope for harmony with the outgroup can undermine the constructive tension that motivates the disadvantaged toward equality. Across four studies, involving different intergroup contexts, hope for harmony was negatively associated with disadvantaged group members' motivation for collective action. We further found that high identifiers from the disadvantaged group were immune to this effect. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for the role of hope in social change.

Queering Black activism: Exploring the relationship between racial identity and Black activist orientation among Black LGBTQ youth

“…Conversely, for Black queer youth with lower assimilation beliefs, high racial centrality was related to a lower orientation toward high‐risk activism than low racial centrality. This finding is in line with research of Palestinian citizens of Israel and Black Americans in the United States, which found that hope of integration with the dominant racial–ethnic group (Jewish citizens of Israel and White Americans) was negatively associated with intention to engage in collective action among marginalized group members with low collective identity (Hasan‐Aslih, Pliskin, van Zomeren, Halperin, & Saguy, ). One possible explanation is that Black queer youth who do not value integration with mainstream society but have a high sense of self as Black, do not see value in high‐risk activism.…”

Understanding allies’ participation in social change: A multiple perspectives approach

“…Whilst advantaged group allies seem to be effective in reducing discriminatory behaviours among perpetrators (e.g., Czopp & Monteith, 2003) or motivating others to act (see Roblain et al, 2020 this issue;Subašić et al, 2018), research on intergroup contact and collective action highlights the costs associated with their involvement from the perspective of the disadvantaged group. For instance, allies may put more emphasis on achieving harmonious intergroup relations, which can decrease disadvantaged group members' participation in collective action (Dixon et al, 2015;Hasan-Aslih et al, 2019), by reducing their anger and sense of efficacy, which are the classic predictors of collective action (Ufkes et al, 2016). The key goal of allyship is to assist disadvantaged groups in achieving their goals, thus it is crucial to understand how disadvantaged groups respond to allies' presence and involvement.…”

Against the odds: Hope as an antecedent of support for climate change action

“…Yet, other research found a positive effect of manipulated possibility on hope but not on collective action motivation, with its authors attributing a mere emotion‐coping role to hope (van Zomeren, Pauls, & Cohen‐Chen, ). Further, some hopes can also deflate collective action motivation, such as when the object of hope for disadvantaged groups is harmony between groups rather than equality (Hasan‐Aslih, Pliskin, van Zomeren, Halperin, & Saguy, ).…”