Social Hierarchy Maintenance and Assortment into Social Roles: A Social Dominance Perspective

Abstract

Using vocational choice and social dominance theories as organizing frameworks, and employing data from a five-wave longitudinal study of undergraduates, we explored the relationship between generalized anti-egalitarianism, on the one hand, and the choice of hierarchy-enhancing (HE) and hierarchy-attenuating (HA) college majors and future careers on the other hand. Consistent with theoretical expectations, the data showed that students with high levels of anti-egalitarianism were more likely to choose HE college majors and future careers, while students with relatively low levels of generalized anti-egalitarianism were more likely to choose HA college majors and future careers. Congruent students (high antiegalitarianism/HE majors and low anti-egalitarianism/HA majors) enjoyed greater academic success, and greater expectations of academic success than incongruent students (high antiegalitarianism/HA majors and low anti-egalitarianism/HE majors). Finally, we explored three processes possibly responsible for the congruence between anti-egalitarianism and career path:(1) self-selection, (2) institutional socialization, and (3) differential success/differential attrition. The results only showed support for self-selection mechanisms.

Empirics on the Origins of Preferences: The Case of College Major and Religiosity

“…The research of Easterlin and Crimmins (1991;also see Easterlin 1995) even suggests that trends in the college majors chosen by students in the 1970s and 1980s are directly related to the values students place on economic success. Business majors also tend to place less emphasis than do other majors on freedom, empathy, protecting the environment, finding personal fulfillment, performing community service, fostering equality, and correcting social injustices (Shiarella and McCarthy 2000;Sidanius et al 2003;Jennings 1993;Bécares and Turner 2004). In fact, the reputation of business majors for placing emphasis on material success and downplaying social and environmental responsibilities has led some business colleges to explicitly introduce social responsibility and community service into their curriculums (Zlotkowski 1996;Hogner 1996;Kolenko et al 1996;Ridener 1999).…”

“…For example, they tend to place more emphasis on the environment, an attribute shared by those majoring in biology (Hodgkinson and Innes 2001). They also tend to place more emphasis on egalitarianism, tolerance, and freedom and less emphasis on business (Sidanius et al 2003;Jennings 1993;Duff and Cotgrove 1982;Biddle et al 1990). Psychology and nursing students have been reported to be higher than others on empathy (Bécares and Turner 2004).…”

Upper Classes and Immorality: Ecological Validation of 50 Years of Power Research

“…Not only are groups of individuals with power, by simple aggregation, more powerful than other groups, but also individual-and group-identities are both linked to individuals' appreciation of social hierarchy. For example, individuals with high social dominance orientation (i.e., endorsement of social hierarchy) tend to choose careers in organizations with hierarchical structures (e.g., army and police) rather than horizontal structures (e.g., civil liberty organizations; Haley & Sidanius, 2005;Sidanius, van Laar, Levin, & Sinclair, 2003). And the sense of power is consistent across social interactions (Anderson, John, & Keltner, 2011;Kenny & Zaccaro, 1983;Zaccaro, Foti, & Kenny, 1991).…”

Les effets de l’éducation sur les attitudes sociopolitiques des étudiants : le cas de deux universités en Roumanie

“…Selon l'hypothèse de sélection individuelle, les étudiants choisissent une filière académique plutôt qu'une autre en fonction de leurs attitudes personnelles (Sidanius, van Laar, Levin, & Sinclair, 2003). Ils s'orientent délibérément vers les institutions prônant les valeurs qui semblent le plus leur convenir.…”

“…Les étudiants ayant les attitudes les plus égalitaires sur cette mesure se retrouvent majoritairement en sciences humaines (sciences sociales, psychologie et sociologie), alors que ceux qui ont les attitudes les plus antiégalitaires se retrouvent surtout dans les écoles de police, les filières de droit, de finance ou d'économie (van Laar et al , 1999). Selon l'hypothèse de sélection, il existe des différences entre les attitudes des étudiants de première année qui sont inscrits dans des filières contrastées, et on retrouve sensiblement les mêmes différences en quatrième année (Sidanius et al, 2003).…”