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The dominance of the individual in intergroup relations research: Understanding social change requires psychological theories of collective and structural phenomena

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2012

Elizabeth Levy Paluck
Elizabeth Levy Paluck*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540. [email protected]://betsylevypaluck.com
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Abstract

Dixon et al. suggest that the psychological literature on intergroup relations should shift from theorizing “prejudice reduction” to “social change.” A focus on social change exposes the importance of psychological theories involving collective phenomena like social norms and institutions. Individuals' attitudes and emotions may follow, rather than cause, changes in social norms and institutional arrangements.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 35 , Issue 6 , December 2012 , pp. 443 - 444
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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