BRIDGING SOCIAL GAPS

1. BRIDGING SOCIAL GAPS Motivating people to work for diversity Presented by James Manuel, Psy.D. MILLWOOD HOSPITAL September 12 2014

3. Presentation Overview • Social Distance: Keeping us from a just society • Measuring and predicting social distance • How distance hurts us • Why it matters to you • Tools for closing the gaps

4. BRIDGING SOCIAL GAPS INTRO TO SOCIAL DISTANCE definition • Social distance constitutes one element in a family of related concepts such as prejudice, stereotypes, and ethnocentrism. • Broadly defined, social distance refers to how close members of a group feel towards members of another group. It ranges from intimacy to remoteness and repugnance (Yuchtman-Yaar & Inbar, 1986).

5. History • When did this all begin? • Big Bang • Adam & Eve • Part of nature • Why does it persist? • Low motivation to change • Lack of discussion • How can we work to change things? • Reduce your contribution • Help raise awareness

6. Historical Examples of Separatism

7. American Slave Trade

8. American Slave Trade

9. American Slave Trade

10. Jim Crow

11. Nazi Occupation

12. Patriotism and solidarity?

13. Persecution of Jews

14. Abu Ghraib

15. Haves & Have nots

16. Family Violence

17. Results from Social Distance studies • Different ethnic groups have different levels of power & privilege. • The dominant group sets standards for superiority and inferiority. • To increase status groups must increase their similarity to the culturally dominant group. • All groups consistently rank themselves higher than they are ranked by other groups.

18. To separate or come together… That is the question. • Is social distancing malicious or benign? • Is it good or bad? • Who gets hurt? VIDEO: Chappelle Show Black White Supremist

19. We can measure Social Distance POPULAR TESTS: Bogardus’ Scale & IAT • Tests measure our comfort in engaging in relationships with people from different social groups. • Bogardus Scale ex. Would you marry? Would you accept as a neighbor? Would you exclude from your country? • IAT: Example: http://www.understandingprejudice.org/iat/index2.htm

20. Prediction Models • Instrumental approach: • Based on interest and goals • Conflict model: • Based on domination, control, and subjugation • Resource-Dependency model: • Based on one group controlling valuable resources

21. 3 WAYS TO GET ALONG • Three types of interactions: • Symmetrical (High / High) • Groups seek to maintain equally great social distances • Symmetrical (Low / Low) • Groups are mutually inclined toward closeness • Asymmetrical (High / Low) • One group seeks to increase social distance while the other tries to decrease it

22. CLASSIC EXAMPLE Social distance in Israeli-Arab conflict: A resource dependency analysis (Yuchtman-Yaar & Inbar, 1986). Results: Outcomes match predictions… - Israelis desire more distance from Palestinians, while Palestinians desire to be closer. - Egyptians are unwilling to have as close a relationship as the Israelis would like to have with them.

23. The Psychological Gap • How do we decide if someone is similar or different; near or far? • High construal = Abstract = Distal (far) • Low construal = Concrete = Proximal (near) • *Ex. Personal ambitions can be abstractly represented as “being someone” or more concretely as “being a successful playwright.” • *Ex. A person with average sight may abstractly view a speaker at their new job orientation who is blind as a disabled person, or more concretely as a knowledgeable professional. • Construal level is influenced by background and experiences, attitudes, mood and affect, cognitive ability, etc. The same object can be construed in many ways, at different levels of abstraction. Video: A Class Divided (Blue Eyes Brown Eyes)

24. Social Rejection of Persons with Disabilities • Cultural views about mental illness • More likely to be violent. • Less often perceived as potential friends (Gordon, Tantillo, Feldman, Perrone, 2004). • Social Interactions between those labeled as Mentally Retarded (MR) and those with “normal” cognitive functioning. • Workers without MR often have three times more interaction with coworkers also without MR than those with MR (Ferguson, McDonnell, and Drew, 1993).

25. Social Rejection of Persons with Disabilities (Cont’d) • Gordon’s study found that those who have had more contact with disability issues expressed similar discomfort as those without contact (Gordon, Tantillo, Feldman, Perrone, 2004). • In studies examining attitudes towards disabling conditions, mental retardation and mental illness have consistently been cited as the least socially accepted (Lyons and Hayes, 1993). • Video: Pumpkin (2002)

26. WHY DO YOU CARE? • Effects on Job Performance • Professional Conduct • Professional Relationships • Creating a Positive Work Environment

27. Suggestions for bridging the gaps • 1) Increase your awareness • 2) Re-evaluate your assumptions • 3) Be transformed by diverse groups • 4) Engage in an ongoing dialogue • 5) Be a lover of peace & justice

28. References • Amodio, D. M.., Devine, P.G. (2006). Stereotyping and evaluation in implicit race bias: Evidence for independent constructs and unique effects on behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 91, 652-661. • Bar-Anan, Y., Liberman, N., Trope, Y. (2006). The association between psychological distance and construal level: Evidence from an implicit association test. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. 135 (4), 609-622. • Case, K. A., Hemmings, A. (2005). Distancing strategies: White women preservice teachers and antiracist curriculum. Urban Education. 40 (6) 606-626. • Corrigan, P. W., Green, A., Lundin, R., Kubiak, M. A., Penn, D. L. (2001). Familiarity with and social distance from people who have serious mental illness. Psychiatric Services. 52 (7), 953-958. • Gordon, P. A., Tantillo, J. C., Feldman, D., Perrone, K. (2004). Attitudes regarding interpersonal relationships with persons with mental illness and mental retardation. Journal of Rehabilitation. 70 (1), 50-56.

29. References • Hodson, G., Esses, V. M. (2002). Distancing oneself from negative attributes and the personal/group discrimination discrepancy. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 38, 500-507. • Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Falcato, L., Rossler, W. (2004). Factors influencing social distance toward people with mental illness. Community Mental Health Journal. 40 (3), 265-274. • Swim, J. K., Ferguson, M. J., Hyers, L. L. (1999). Avoiding stigma by association: subtle prejudice against lesbians in the form of social distancing. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 21 (1), 61-68. • Triandis, H. C., Triandis, L., M. (1960). Race, social class, religion, and nationality as determinants of social distance. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. 61 (1), 110-118. • Yuchtman-Yaar, E., Inbar, M. (1986). Social distance in the Israeli- Arab conflict a resource-dependency analysis. Comparative Political Studies, 19 (3), 283-316.