Racial resentment and smoking

Estimating the mental health costs of racial discrimination

“…However, the economic consequences experiences of racial discrimination (EOD) extend beyond the immediate targets to those witnessing discrimination [4] and even to the perpetrators themselves [5–7]. Flow on effects can occur for the targets’ immediate and/or extended families [8–10], communities, and government institutions that are tasked with combating discrimination.…”

Immigration concern and the white/non-white difference in smoking: Group position theory and health

“…This study builds on research examining associations between group-based attitudes and various health outcomes to propose that immigration concerns may partially account for the white/non-white smoking difference, the healthy immigrant effect, and the Hispanic paradox ( Hatzenbuehler et al, 2013 , Lee et al, 2015 , Samson, 2015b ; Leitner al., 2016 ). As such, it suggests an alternative social psychological approach to studying substance use than that employed by either perceived discrimination as a social stressor or ethnic identification as a protective factor ( Chae, Takeuchi, Barbeau, Bennett, Lindsey & Stoddard, 2008 ).…”

“…Such studies might better identify whether what would appear to be normative attitudes and behaviors among a majority group might actually be associated with poorer health outcomes if adopted or expressed by a healthier minority group. Second, by building upon an emerging set of population health studies that illuminate a connection between intergroup attitudes and health outcomes ( Hatzenbuehler et al, 2013 , Lee et al, 2015 , Samson, 2015b ; Leitner al., 2016 ), the present study invites future research drawing on mechanistic, basic science to determine whether actual biological mechanisms can be found linking the cognitive activity triggered by intergroup attitudes to the emotion and stress-related biological processes (e.g. hormones, biomarkers, etc.)…”

“…According to group position theory, perceived group competition encompasses elements of economic precariousness due to perceived economic competition ( Quillian, 1995 ), and negative affect due to encroachment on the dominant group's perceived group entitlements and boundaries ( Bobo, 1999 ). As a sociological theory of racial prejudice, group position theory's approach to understanding smoking behavior would be similar to research that has found a relationship between smoking and racial resentment, an indicator of contemporary racial prejudice that also highlights group-based negative affect ( Samson, 2015b ). Perceived economic insecurity and negative group-based emotion potentially link perceptions of group competition and smoking.…”

“…However, prior research on smoking has not examined the occasionally contentious issue of immigration, as reflected in the aforementioned attitudes towards immigration. Research has already linked political attitudes and smoking, recognizing that attitudes are multidimensional constructs that can capture not only political opinion but stress and emotion as well ( Samson, 2015b ). Moreover, intergroup attitudes, such as group-based prejudice, have been found to predict both all-cause mortality, cardiovascular-related mortality, and circulatory-disease-related death ( Hatzenbuehler et al, 2013 , Lee et al, 2015 , Leitner et al, 2016 ).…”