College Major and Modern Racism: A Matter of Moral Hypocrisy?

Abstract

Research has demonstrated a relationship between gender, race, and modern racism. Recent studies have revealed this relationship exists in college business majors as well as in the world of business. Moral hypocrisy appears as a possible explanation of why apparently normal moral individuals at times, do behave in a less than moral manner when their self-interests are threatened. This paper explores how self-interest often overpowers moral integrity.

The Relationship between Social Dominance Orientation and Religiosity mediated by Political Orientation and Race

“…According to Pratto et al (1994), individuals or groups high in SDO regarding interpersonal relations prefers a hierarchical trajectory. In other words, they view the social order along a superior-inferior status in which their in-group is dominant to all other out-groups (Akrami & Ekehammar, 2006;Cokely et al, 2010;Crawford & Pilanski, 2014;Duckitt & Sibley, 2007;Grina, et al, 2016;Ho et al, 2012;Ho et al, 2015;Oxendine, 2016a;Oxendine, 2016b;Oxendine, 2017;Pettigrew, 2017;Sibley &Duckitt, 2008;Sibley et al, 2006). Numerous researchers have established the relationship between, soc ial class, political conservatism, racism, and authoritarianism all incorporating the basic tenets of SDO, legitimizing the myths of ethnic and cultural superiority of the dominant in-group over the lesser out-group (Akrami & Ekehammar, 2006;Cokely et al, 2010;Ho et al, 2012;Ho et al, 2015;Oxendine, 2016a;Oxendine, 2016b;Oxendine, 2017;Pettigrew, 2017).…”

“…The social psychological literature is replete with empirical evidence supporting the notion of triangulation of political conservatism, prejudice, and the dominant ethnic culture (White) as core components of social dominance orientation theory (Akrami & Ekehammar, 2006;Cokley et al, 2010;Guimond et al, 2003;Oxendine, 2016a;Oxendine, 2016b;Oxendine, 2017;Pratto et al, 1994;Poteat & Spanierman, 2010;Poteat & Spanierman, 2012). Oxendine (2017) found this to be the case among academic college majors, whereby, School of Business majors held greater levels of modern racism attitudes and beliefs than did other academic majors. The core common denominator being a significant majority of Whites that were politically conservative.…”

“…Abundant research reveals that conservative beliefs or those who identify as politically conservative are significantly related with higher levels of self-related prejudice or modern racist attitudes and beliefs toward minority or disadvantaged social groups (Costello & Hodson, 2011;Crawford & Pilanski, 2014;Crowson & Brandes, 2017;Oxendine, 2016b;Webster, Burns, Picker ing, & Saucer, 2014). For decades social psychologists have found an abundance of empirical evidence linking the social, cognitive, and the motivational processes that perpetuate intergroup conflict (Cokley, Tran, Hall-Clark, Chapman, Bessa, Finley, & Martinez, 2010;Grina, Bergh, Akami, & Sidanius, 2016;Guimond, Dambrun, Michinov, & Duarte, 2003;Pratto, Sidanius, Stallworth, & Malle, 1994;Oxendine, 2016aOxendine, , 2016bOxendine, , 2017Poteat & Spanierman, 2010;Poteat & Spanierman, 2012;Webster et al, 2014;Whitley, 1999;Whitley & Kite, 2006). Scholars studying human societies find their social structures tend to be group based according to a hierarchical schema.…”

“…Scholars studying human societies find their social structures tend to be group based according to a hierarchical schema. Eventually, these societies develop where the dominant groups, which tend to have greater positive social value become the in-group and those with less positive social value become the out-group (Akrami & Ekehammar, 2006;Guimond et al, 2003;Oxendine, 2016a;Oxendine, 2016b;Oxendine, 2017;Pettigrew, 2017;Pratto, et al1994;Sidanius & Pratto, 1999;Sidanius, Pratto, & Bobo, 1994;Snellman & Ekehammar, 2000). Historically, these groups have been defined by "race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, region, skin color … among others (Sidanius & Pratto, 1999, p. 61).…”

“…Much research finds that a conservative political orientation is consistently positively correlated to SDO (Akrami & Ekehammar, 2006;Guimond et al, 2003;Oxendine, 2016a;Oxendine, 2016b;Oxendine, 2017;Pettigrew, 2017;Pratto, et al1994;Sidanius & Pratto, 1999;Sidanius, Pratto, & Bobo, 1994). Pettigrew (2017) found among the many factors that may comprise the psychological makeup of the general Trump supporter, social dominance orientation, religiousness, political orientation, and race are the major social psychological components that may explain this phenomenon.…”