Legitimating Mechanisms of Prejudice and Discrimination: The Role of Threat Perception and Ingroup Identification
Legitimating Mechanisms of Prejudice and Discrimination: The Role of Threat Perception and Ingroup Identification
Prejudice and discrimination against minority groups still persist despite the democratic societies have developed social and legal norms in order to prevent and punish discrimination. This project is framed in the more general problem that is to understand the mechanisms that allow the persistence of discrimination. In particular, we question about the factors that facilitate going from prejudice to discrimination. Our proposal is that discrimination as well as the relationship between prejudice and discrimination is legitimated by use of justifying factors. In this sense, we propose that threat perceptions mediate the relationship between prejudice and discrimination and that this mediation is moderated by social identification.
Legitimisation is a fundamental concept to understand the genesis of social tensions (Zelditch, 2001). Nowadays, the analysis of the legitimating processes is relevant because anti-normative behaviours, such as discrimination, require legitimisation, i.e., ways by which it can be justified (Berger & Luckmann, 1967). In this sense, if one behaves in a discriminatory way, one must find justifications for behaving like that (Jost & Banaji, 1994). Even though Allport (1954) has underlined the importance of justifying factors, mainly stereotypes, to understand the nature of prejudice, and Tajfel (1984) has identified the same factors in intergroup tensions, only recently legitimating processes began to receive attention in social psychology (Crandall & Eshleman, 2003; Jost & Major, 2001; Sidanius & Pratto, 1999). Specifically, the role of legitimisation on the relationship between prejudice and discrimination did not receive enough attention yet.
In order to fill this gap, we have being proposing an articulated set of hypotheses (Pereira, Vala, & Costa-Lopes, in press; Pereira, Vala, & Leyens, 2009). Indeed, our previous research showed that the relationship between prejudice and discrimination is mediated by justifying factors when the anti-discriminatory norm is activated, whereas when the context is permissive, the relationship between prejudice and discrimination doesn't need justifications. In this project, we aim to step forward and analyse the type of justifications people use to legitimate discriminatory behaviour as well as their moderating factors
In a paper on intergroup relations and social justice, Tajfel (1984) proposed that identity factors drive legitimating processes that, in turn, justify intergroup hostility. In this vein, we propose social identity as a core concept in order to understand the factors underlying the way discrimination is legitimated. Moreover, research on social discrimination and prejudice are increasingly stressing the role of threat perceptions (Cottrell & Neuberg, 2005; Stephan et al., 2002). We advance the hypothesis that perceived threat plays an important legitimating role.
Assuming that the social context is anti-discriminatory, we propose the following hypotheses: a) when identification is salient the relationship between prejudice and discrimination is mediated by symbolic and realistic threats; b) when identification is not salient only realistic threat mediates the relationship between prejudice and discrimination. This means that the relationship between prejudice and discrimination is mediated by symbolic and realistic threat and that this mediation is moderated by ingroup identification.
Prejudice and discrimination against minority groups still persist despite the democratic societies have developed social and legal norms in order to prevent and punish discrimination. This project is framed in the more general problem that is to understand the mechanisms that allow the persistence of discrimination. In particular, we question about the factors that facilitate going from prejudice to discrimination. Our proposal is that discrimination as well as the relationship between prejudice and discrimination is legitimated by use of justifying factors. In this sense, we propose that threat perceptions mediate the relationship between prejudice and discrimination and that this mediation is moderated by social identification.
Legitimisation is a fundamental concept to understand the genesis of social tensions (Zelditch, 2001). Nowadays, the analysis of the legitimating processes is relevant because anti-normative behaviours, such as discrimination, require legitimisation, i.e., ways by which it can be justified (Berger & Luckmann, 1967). In this sense, if one behaves in a discriminatory way, one must find justifications for behaving like that (Jost & Banaji, 1994). Even though Allport (1954) has underlined the importance of justifying factors, mainly stereotypes, to understand the nature of prejudice, and Tajfel (1984) has identified the same factors in intergroup tensions, only recently legitimating processes began to receive attention in social psychology (Crandall & Eshleman, 2003; Jost & Major, 2001; Sidanius & Pratto, 1999). Specifically, the role of legitimisation on the relationship between prejudice and discrimination did not receive enough attention yet.
In order to fill this gap, we have being proposing an articulated set of hypotheses (Pereira, Vala, & Costa-Lopes, in press; Pereira, Vala, & Leyens, 2009). Indeed, our previous research showed that the relationship between prejudice and discrimination is mediated by justifying factors when the anti-discriminatory norm is activated, whereas when the context is permissive, the relationship between prejudice and discrimination doesn't need justifications. In this project, we aim to step forward and analyse the type of justifications people use to legitimate discriminatory behaviour as well as their moderating factors
In a paper on intergroup relations and social justice, Tajfel (1984) proposed that identity factors drive legitimating processes that, in turn, justify intergroup hostility. In this vein, we propose social identity as a core concept in order to understand the factors underlying the way discrimination is legitimated. Moreover, research on social discrimination and prejudice are increasingly stressing the role of threat perceptions (Cottrell & Neuberg, 2005; Stephan et al., 2002). We advance the hypothesis that perceived threat plays an important legitimating role.
Assuming that the social context is anti-discriminatory, we propose the following hypotheses: a) when identification is salient the relationship between prejudice and discrimination is mediated by symbolic and realistic threats; b) when identification is not salient only realistic threat mediates the relationship between prejudice and discrimination. This means that the relationship between prejudice and discrimination is mediated by symbolic and realistic threat and that this mediation is moderated by ingroup identification.
