Yes, But...Ruminations on Discounted Membership and Reference Group Rationalizations

Reference group theory posits that people attempt to identify themselves with groups that are esteemed in order to enhance their sense of self-worth. However, it is not uncommon that actors may find themselves being identified with, or identifying with, stigmatized groups or categories. In order to avoid the personally pejorative implications of these associations, these actors often engage in various strategies that take a form similar to accounts which attempt to neutralize possible stigma. Two fundamental normalizations, disidentification and deflected stigma are presented and compared to previous articulations in the literature of stigma management

Mutual Dependence and Gift Giving in Exchange Relations

We incorporate elements of a social-constructionist viewpoint into social-exchange theory and show how mutual dependence can produce expressive behavior in the form of gift giving. Exchange networks typically create varying degrees of mutual dependence in component dyads, and greater mutual dependence produces more frequent exchange. We propose that over time, frequent exchange generates an expressive relation and unilateral, token gifts are an indicator of emerging expressiveness in an exchange relation. To experimentally test the impact of mutual dependence on token gift giving, two focal actors, each with one alternative partner, attempted to negotiate an exchange across multiple opportunities. The results indicate that high compared to low mutual dependence increased gift giving, while also enhancing the attitudinal commitment to and perceived closeness of the relation. Consistent with the theory, these effects of mutual dependence were indirect, operating through the frequency of exchange. Broadly, the paper has theoretical implications for how and when endogenous processes in dyads generate certain micro-to-macro effects.Lawler62_Mutual_dependence_and_gift_giving.pdf: 219 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020