Aug 3, 2021 07:39 PM
Disadvantaged people may support social hierarchies and inequality to benefit their group
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/924293
INTRO: As long as status positions between social groups are perceived as unstable and thus, reversible, people who identified with a lower social-status group may feel inclined to reinforce their support for hierarchical relations and inequality between groups. By doing so, the group is indeed turning to a long-term strategy where they may engage in collective actions to eventually take over the position, power and resources of the current domineering party.
With their findings, published in the peer-reviewed scholarly journal Social Psychological Bulletin, the research team, led by Dr Catarina L. Carvalho (University of Porto, Portugal), provides the first evidence that the endorsement of ideologies that promote hierarchically structured relationships between groups may actually serve as the stepping stone for lower-status groups up the social ladder. Their work presents a new perspective on what motivates disadvantaged groups to support such ideologies and highlight the importance of including ideological processes in collective action research... (MORE)
How do leaders and influencers emerge?
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/924244
INTRO: We think of leaders and influencers as imbued with special skills and qualities – either innate or hard-won merit – that propels them to success, high status and financial rewards. Self-help books on how to build leadership skills abound.
However, new research that models the evolution of social networks suggests it is less about individual skills and talents, and more about a dynamic self-reinforcing social process – one that is driven by our instinct to conform to those around us, as well as to seek influence.
Computer modelling by economist Associate Professor David Goldbaum from UTS Business School reveals that even when everyone in a group has exactly the same attributes, a leader will still emerge from the process. The study, The origins of influence, was recently published in the journal Economic Modelling.
“The findings suggest our view of leadership is over-glorified. It invites a rethink of the notion that a person who gains a leadership position through a competitive process is necessarily more worthy. This is especially so in subjective fields such as art, music, politics or fashion,” said Associate Professor Goldbaum.
“A leader is someone who has followers – something they may or may not directly control. My aim was to build a model that stripped away any unique attributes, to see if a leader will still emerge,” he said... (MORE - details)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/924293
INTRO: As long as status positions between social groups are perceived as unstable and thus, reversible, people who identified with a lower social-status group may feel inclined to reinforce their support for hierarchical relations and inequality between groups. By doing so, the group is indeed turning to a long-term strategy where they may engage in collective actions to eventually take over the position, power and resources of the current domineering party.
With their findings, published in the peer-reviewed scholarly journal Social Psychological Bulletin, the research team, led by Dr Catarina L. Carvalho (University of Porto, Portugal), provides the first evidence that the endorsement of ideologies that promote hierarchically structured relationships between groups may actually serve as the stepping stone for lower-status groups up the social ladder. Their work presents a new perspective on what motivates disadvantaged groups to support such ideologies and highlight the importance of including ideological processes in collective action research... (MORE)
How do leaders and influencers emerge?
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/924244
INTRO: We think of leaders and influencers as imbued with special skills and qualities – either innate or hard-won merit – that propels them to success, high status and financial rewards. Self-help books on how to build leadership skills abound.
However, new research that models the evolution of social networks suggests it is less about individual skills and talents, and more about a dynamic self-reinforcing social process – one that is driven by our instinct to conform to those around us, as well as to seek influence.
Computer modelling by economist Associate Professor David Goldbaum from UTS Business School reveals that even when everyone in a group has exactly the same attributes, a leader will still emerge from the process. The study, The origins of influence, was recently published in the journal Economic Modelling.
“The findings suggest our view of leadership is over-glorified. It invites a rethink of the notion that a person who gains a leadership position through a competitive process is necessarily more worthy. This is especially so in subjective fields such as art, music, politics or fashion,” said Associate Professor Goldbaum.
“A leader is someone who has followers – something they may or may not directly control. My aim was to build a model that stripped away any unique attributes, to see if a leader will still emerge,” he said... (MORE - details)