Self-Esteem and Low Status Groups: a Changing Scene?

Abstract

To insure the widest possible test of the hypothesis that individuals with lower ascribed or achieved status will demonstrate lower levels of self-esteem than higher status individuals, 972 subjects completed questionnaires which included the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.North Florida residents were sampled using a disproportionate stratified random sampling technique. Seven groups were identified: psychiatric patients, prisoners, black or white college students, city residents, married black residents, and service-oriented professionals. When analyzing data for each group, the results indicated that persons with lower ascribed status (blacks, females, and older Americans) did not, as a group, have lower self-esteem scores than persons with higher ascribed status (whites, males, and younger Americans). However, persons with lower achieved status in the areas of educational attainment and occupational prestige did have lower self-esteem scores than did persons of higher status. Further, having an institutionalized status4onfinement at a state psychiatric hospital or a maximum security prison-is correlated with low self-esteem scores. Some possible explanations of these findings are explored.The theoretical construct, self-esteem, derived from symbolic interaction theory, has been defined by Crandall(1973:45) as "liking and respect for oneself which has some realistic basis." Presumably, the individual arrives at a decision concerning hidher personal worth after a process of self-evaluation. In this judgmental process the individual approves, disapproves, or ranks hidher performances, attributes, and/or capacities according to criteria which he/she has internalized. These criteria typically reflect the individual's status in society. As Cooley (1902) and Mead (1934) postulated, self attitudes are reflections of social values and are internalized through the process of socialization. To the degree that a group of people are identified as having positive ascribed and achieved attributes, one would expect positive self-evaluation and, therefore, high self-esteem.American minorities have always had to deal with the problem of balancing discrepancies between their own value systems, attributes, etc. and those of the larger society. Concomitantly, minority groups have had to deal with the impact of these discrepancies on their self-attitudes. Kramer (197055) noted, "The way in which one is identified in the larger society (as well as where one is located in the social structure) affects the way in which one identifies oneself." Therefore, it seems logical that minority and/or low status groups are likely to judge themselves-as a g r o u p l e s s positively than members of majority or high status groups.

A First Test of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure as a Measure of Self-Esteem: Irish Prisoner Groups and University Students

“…Thus, prisoners who have greater control over their daily routines and who perceive themselves to be better than many of their fellow prisoners are likely to experience higher self-esteem than mainstream prisoners, even though relative to the wider culture outside the prison they would compare rather negatively. Crucially, findings in the prison literature concur with these predictions: Prisoners reporting higher internal locus of control, those having achieved relatively higher status, and in particular those benefiting from the greater autonomy of trustee status tend to experience higher levels of self-esteem than those subject to higher security prison regimes (e.g., Blatier, 2000;Jacques & Chason, 1977;Oser, 2006;Regens & Hobson, 1978).…”

Self-Esteem and the Evaluation of Ethnic Identity among Turkish and Dutch Adolescents in the Netherlands

“…More and more research during the last two decades has provided contrary evidence from an empirical point of view. Thus we have studies that find no difference (Hines & BergCross, 198 1;Hraba & Grant, 1970;Jacques & Chason, 1977) and also studies that find a difference in favor of Blacks (Richman, Clark, & Brown, 1985;Rosenberg & Simmons, 1972;Simmons, Brown, Bush, & Blyth, 1978). Despite methodological problems and differences, as well as differences in research populations, empirical research does not support the view that Blacks have lower self-esteem.…”

Self‐esteem Among Ethnic Minorities and Three Principles of Self‐esteem Formation: Turkish Children in The Netherlands

“…The empirical evidence gathered during the last two decades indicates hardly any difference between blacks and whites. Thus, there are studies which find no difference (Hines & Berg-Cross, 1981;Hraba & Grant, 1970;Jacques & Chason, 1977) and also studies which find higher self-esteem among blacks (Richman, Clark, & Brown, 1985;Rosenberg & Simmons, 1972;Simmons, Brown, Bush, & Blyth, 1978). Despite methodological problems and differences, as well as differences in research populations, empirical research in general does not support the assumption that blacks have lower self-esteem (for a review see Porter & Washington, 1979;Wylie, 1979).…”