The interface between ethnic and social system attachment: The differential effects of hierarchy-enhancing and hierarchy-attenuating environments

Stacey Sinclair, Jim Sidanius, Shana Levin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

84 Scopus citations

Abstract

Social dominance theory distinguishes between hierarchy-enhancing environments, which promote inequality between groups (e.g., American society), and hierarchy-attenuating environments, which promote equality between groups (e.g., universities). Consistent with predictions derived from this distinction, a panel study that assessed attitudes prior to university exposure and after one year of university exposure yielded three findings: (1) exposure to the university decreased antiegalitarian attitudes; (2) at the end of their first year of college, European Americans exhibited greater national attachment than Asian Americans, Latinos, and African Americans, but members of all groups exhibited similar levels of university attachment; and (3) European Americans exhibited a more positive association between ethnic attachment and national attachment than members of the other three groups, but members of all groups exhibited similar relationships between ethnic attachment and university attachment.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)741-757
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Social Issues
Volume54
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1998
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Social Sciences

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The interface between ethnic and social system attachment: The differential effects of hierarchy-enhancing and hierarchy-attenuating environments'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this