Caught in a social crossfire: Exploring the social forces behind and experience of ambivalence about potential social change

Abstract

Social psychological research on societal debates about potential social change (e.g., abortion, racial segregation) often focuses on those who take clear positions in these debates. Yet, little is known about the often invisible yet potentially influential group that experiences ambivalence in societal debates. Extending and integrating ambivalence and social change research, we explore the relation between social forces in societal debates and the experiences of ambivalence about social change within these debates. Thematic analysis of extensive interviews with 15 Dutch students experiencing ambivalence in a heated Dutch societal debate revealed that different social forces (e.g., interpersonal relations, groups people belong to, societal systems) facilitate felt ambivalence about potential social change. Moreover, this ambivalence was often experienced as feeling caught in a social crossfire. Our work contributes to a richer psychological understanding of ambivalence about potential social change and reveals the complexity of decision-making in the context of societal debates.

The social tensions felt within: Explaining felt ambivalence about polarized societal debates through perceived opinion discrepancies in the social environment

“…Indeed, polarization in societal debates often produces a choice situation with pressures to choose one of two sides, which makes the experience of ambivalence more likely (van Harreveld, van der Pligt, et al, 2009 ). Furthermore, societal debates can make visible that one's social network and groups are internally divided, which, we propose, makes the perception of social discrepancy and the experience of ambivalence on the topic more likely (Ton et al, 2022 ; see also Pillaud et al, 2013 ; van Harreveld, Rutjens, et al, 2009 ).…”

“…friends, family members) or societal (e.g. proponents, opponents) groups (Ton et al, 2022 ). In other words, these individuals might experience ambivalence as they perceive such social discrepancies and feel these social tensions within.…”

“…We build upon recent qualitative research revealing that, in the context of a polarized societal debate concerning racism in the Netherlands, ambivalents found themselves ‘caught in the social crossfire’ of opposing positions held by social forces (e.g. family, friends, opposing groups in society; Ton et al, 2022 ). In the current study, we aimed to corroborate and move beyond these findings by disentangling the different social forces that give rise to this experience and test the power of perceiving social discrepancies , defined as the presence of conflicting attitudes or beliefs about a social issue within social (e.g.…”

“…Societal debates are social contexts in which there is a contentious debate about an issue that implies a potential social change in society (Ton et al, 2022 ). These societal debates are perceived to be polarized when the opinions in society are divided and opinion‐based groups (McGarty et al, 2009 ) form around these divisions (Koudenburg & Kashima, 2021 ).…”

“…More specifically, initial evidence for this hypothesis came from interviews with Dutch participants who felt ambivalent in the context of a polarized societal debate about whether or not to retain the potentially racist character of Zwarte Piet (Black Pete; explained in more detail later in this article) in an annual Dutch tradition (Ton et al, 2022 ). The analysis revealed that ambivalent participants felt caught in the social crossfire of opinion differences between activist groups, between their friends and family, but also within groups they related to (e.g.…”