Dinámica del comportamiento prosocial: sesgo sutil hacia los grupos raciales y de género

Resumen

Subtle forms of bias pose significant challenges to achieving equitable intergroup relations and thus have recently received considerable attention in the field of social psychology. Although explicit hostility toward minority groups seems to have faded in modern societies, cross-cultural data show that the status, resources, and the power of women and racial/ethnic minorities, compared to those of male racial/ethnic majority group members remain unequal. The present dissertation integrates, both conceptually and empirically, the findings of cross-cultural research showing the role of paternalistic and legitimizing ideas and behavior for establishing, maintaining, and reinforcing group hierarchy and the disadvantage of members of traditionally underrepresented groups. Specifically, research on helping and intergroup relations demonstrates that intergroup helping relations can be used as a strategic instrument to maintain social advantage in racial and gender relations. Theoretical insights and empirical evidence provided by research on the Intergroup Helping as Status Relations Model by Nadler reveals that giving dependency-oriented help to low status groups is a mechanism that allows high status groups to create and maintain social dominance. The studies presented in this doctoral dissertation are based on this framework. My research aims to investigate how subtle forms of bias towards women and ethnic minorities affects the development of prosocial behavior in a culturally diverse society like the US, and how intergroup helping relations are shaped to maintain the privileged status of dominant groups in the society.