La crisis económica y los imaginarios de futuro: ¿qué efecto ha tenido la crisis económica en nuestra manera de imaginar el futuro?

Aquest estudi examina com construïm els nostres imaginaris de futur i quina influència ha tingut la crisi econòmica de 2008-2009 en aquest sentit. Els imaginaris de futur es conceben com un espai de plans i desitjos per al futur, que no depenen solament de la història de vida d’una persona, sinó també del context historicosocial (Cantó-Milà i Seebach, 2015). La crisi econòmica, que ha afectat tots els països europeus, s’ha descrit com un fet social de gran abast, de manera que pot tenir una repercussió important en la nostra manera d’imaginar el futur. Per a aquest estudi, s’han fet entrevistes biogràfiques a diferents persones a Alemanya i Espanya, dos països que han viscut la crisi de manera diferent. Les entrevistes s’han analitzat utilitzant un mètode inspirat en la teoria fonamentada, partint dels conceptes d’imatges del futur, figures i imaginaris de futur desenvolupats per Cantó-Milà i Seebach (2015). La crisi econòmica ha influït de manera diferent en els imaginaris de futur dels entrevistats espanyols i alemanys. Mentre que la perspectiva de futur dels entrevistats alemanys s’ha mantingut inalterada al llarg de la crisi, les respostes dels entrevistats espanyols indiquen tres canvis de mentalitat: el mercat de treball es considera menys estable que abans de la crisi; els joves han d’estar més preparats, és a dir, necessiten un nivell superior de formació; els joves espanyols volen viure i treballar a l’estranger. S’analitzen les raons i la dinàmica d’aquest canvi de mentalitat.This study looks at how people construct future imaginaries and how this has been influenced by the economic crisis of 2008/2009. Future imaginaries are conceived as a realm of plans and wishes for the future, which depend not only on an individual’s personal life history, but also on the given social/historical context (Cantó-Milà and Seebach, 2015). The economic crisis, which affected all European countries, has been portrayed as a far-reaching societal event; therefore, it may have an impact on people’s future imaginaries. For this study, life story interviews were conducted in Germany and Spain, two countries with different experiences of the economic crisis. The interviews were analyzed using a grounded theory-inspired approach guided by the concepts of images of the future, figures, and imaginaries of the future developed by Cantó-Milà and Seebach (2015). The economic crisis affected participants’ future imagination in Spain and Germany in different ways. While German participants’ outlook on the future remained unchanged by the crisis, Spanish interviewees’ accounts indicated three changes in mentality: the labor market is now perceived as less stable than before; young people have to be more prepared – meaning they need higher-level qualifications; younger Spaniards aim to live and work in foreign countries. The reasons and dynamics behind this mentality change are discussed.Este estudio examina cómo construimos nuestros imaginarios de futuro y qué influencia ha tenido la crisis económica de 2008-2009 en este sentido. Los imaginarios de futuro se conciben como un espacio de planes y deseos para el futuro, que no dependen solamente de la historia de vida de una persona, sino también del contexto historicosocial (Cantó-Milà y Seebach, 2015). La crisis económica, que ha afectado a todos los países europeos, se ha descrito como un hecho social de gran alcance, por lo que puede tener una repercusión importante en nuestra manera de imaginar el futuro. Para este estudio, se han realizado entrevistas biográficas a distintas personas en Alemania y España, dos países que han vivido la crisis de forma diferente. Las entrevistas se han analizado utilizando un método inspirado en la teoría fundamentada, partiendo de los conceptos de imágenes del futuro, figuras e imaginarios de futuro desarrollados por Cantó-Milà y Seebach (2015). La crisis económica ha influido de forma distinta en los imaginarios de futuro de los entrevistados españoles y alemanes. Mientras que la perspectiva de futuro de los entrevistados alemanes se ha mantenido inalterada a lo largo de la crisis, las respuestas de los entrevistados españoles indican tres cambios de mentalidad: el mercado de trabajo se considera menos estable que antes de la crisis; los jóvenes tienen que estar más preparados, es decir, necesitan un mayor nivel de formación; los jóvenes españoles quieren vivir y trabajar en el extranjero. Se analizan las razones y la dinámica de este cambio de mentalidad

Identity, Significance, Sensation or Justice? Different Motives which Attract to Radical Ideas

People can be attracted to radical ideas for different reasons. In the present study, we propose four types of people attracted to such ideas due to different motives: the identity seeker, the significance seeker, the sensation seeker, and the justice seeker. To investigate this model, we conducted five narrative interviews with individuals who had disengaged during the early stages of radicalization (Study 1) and seven semi-structured expert interviews with staff of German deradicalization programmes (Study 2). Data were analyzed using a coding reliability approach to thematic analyses. The proposed typology was not supported in full, but the individual motivations making up the types were all reflected in the data, the most important being the need to belong, personal uncertainty, and need for status. This study’s key finding is that rather than generalizing types of radicalization or types of ideology, it is productive to analyze individuals on the basis of their personal combination of psychological needs and the saliency thereof. We relate this to past research and discuss practical implications

The Past and the Pending: The Antecedents and Consequences of Group-Based Anger in Historically and Currently Disadvantaged Groups

Two studies investigated the role of domain relevance in the experience of group-based anger among disadvantaged groups using structural equation models. In the first study, Surinamese people to whom the slavery past was more relevant made stronger attributions of outgroup-blame and experienced more anger. This effect was above and beyond the influence of group identification. In the second study relevance of women’s status position in society predicted outgroup-blame and group-based anger. In both studies domain relevance and anger were predictive of the tendencies to engage in action demanding reparation, as well as of the desire for the outgroup to engage in reparation. The role of domain relevance for intergroup emotions is considered

Comparing the effect of cross-group friendship on generalized trust to its effect on prejudice: The mediating role of threat perceptions and negative affect.

Intergroup relations theory posits that cross-group friendship reduces threat perceptions and negative emotions about outgroups. This has been argued to mitigate the negative effects of ethnic diversity on generalized trust. Yet, direct tests of this friendship-trust relation, especially including perceptions of threat and negative affect as mediators, have remained rare at the individual level. In this article, we bridge this research gap using representative data from eight European countries (Group-Focused Enmity). We employ structural equation modelling (SEM) to model mediated paths of cross-group friendship on generalized trust via perceptions of threat and negative affect. We find that both the total effect as well as the (mediated) total indirect effect of cross-group friendship on generalized trust are weak when compared with similar paths estimated for prejudice

Theories on intergroup relations and emotions: A theoretical overview

The present manuscript is a theoretical revision of the major theories about intergroup relations and emotions, developed over the last decades in the field of social psychology. Following a general chronological order, we first revise the first individualistic approaches to the field of intergroup relations and social conflict. Afterwards, we revise the realistic group conflict theory and relative deprivation theory. Next, we discuss the social identity and the self-categorization theories and highlight some of the most studied dimensions of intergroup relations within this framework. To conclude, we present some of the most influential appraisal theories of emotions and the theory of intergroup emotions. We claim for an integration of several different approaches when studying intergroup relations and, more specifically, the role of different emotions in explaining instances of intergroup conflict.O presente artigo consiste numa revisão teórica das teorias mais influentes na área das relações entre grupos e das emoções, desenvolvidas ao longo das últimas décadas no campo da psicologia social. Seguindo uma ordem cronológica, primeiro apresentamos as abordagens individualistas no campo das relações entre grupos e do conflito social. Depois, revemos a teoria do conflito realista entre grupos e a teoria de privação relativa para, seguidamente, discutirmos as teorias da identidade social e da autocategorização e destacar algumas das dimensões das relações entre grupos mais estudadas dentro desta abordagem. Para concluir, apresentamos também algumas das teorias de avaliação (i.e. appraisals) das emoções e a teoria das emoções intergrupais. No presente artigo, defendemos a integração de várias abordagens e perspetivas diferentes ao estudar as relações intergrupais e, mais especificamente, ao analisar o papel das emoções na compreensão das relações entre grupos e do conflito social

Antecedents and Consequences of Group-Based Guilt: The Effects of Ingroup Identification

Effects of ingroup identification on antecedents and consequences of group-based guilt were examined in two experiments. In the first study, ingroup identification was unrelated to guilt when the negative historical information was said to come from an outgroup source, but was positively related when the same information was said to come from an ingroup source. Among high identifiers it is difficult to dismiss negative information when the source is one's own ingroup. In the second study, people who are low in identification were more in favor of acknowledging the negative aspects of their group's history as a way of alleviating feelings of guilt. We discuss the implications of these results for coming to terms with the legacy of a negative ingroup past

Malicious pleasure: Schadenfreude at the suffering of another group

Two studies examined intergroup schadenfreude-malicious pleasure at an out-group's misfortune. Study I showed that schadenfreude regarding a German loss in soccer was increased by interest in soccer and threats of Dutch inferiority. The effect of inferiority threat was especially strong for participants less interested in soccer; the more interested showed relatively high schadenfreude. Study 2 replicated these effects by showing a similar pattern of schadenfreude regarding losses by Germany and Italy in another setting. However, schadenfreude toward legitimately superior Italy was lower when a norm of honest and direct expression was made salient to participants lower in soccer interest. These results establish schadenfreude as an emotion that is moderated by the salient dimensions of particular intergroup relations

Cultural Models of Well-Being Implicit in Four Ghanaian Languages

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.This contribution to the collection of articles on “African Cultural Models” considers the topic of well-being. Reflecting modern individualist selfways of North American and European worlds, normative conceptions of well-being in hegemonic psychological science tend to valorize self-acceptance, personal growth, and autonomy. In contrast, given the embedded interdependence of everyday life in many West African worlds, one can hypothesize that cultural models of well-being in many Ghanaian settings will place greater emphasis on sustainability-oriented themes of material sufficiency and successful navigation of normative obligations. To explore this hypothesis, we interviewed local cultural experts who function as custodians of religion and an important source of support for well-being in many Ghanaian settings. We asked participants to identify and explain models of well-being implicit in four Ghanaian languages (Akan, Dagbani, Ewe, and Ga). Participants were 19 men and 15 women (age range 32–92 years; Mean = 59.83; SD: 14.01). Results reveal some features of local models, including good health and positive affective states, that appear to resonate with standard understandings of well-being in hegemonic psychological science. However, results also provide evidence for other features of local models – specifically, good living (including moral living, material success, and proper relationality) and peace of mind – associated with a sustainability or maintenance orientation to well-being.Volkswagen Foundation, Germany (94667

Existential threat and responses to emotional displays of ingroup and outgroup members

The present research investigates how emotional displays shape reactions to ingroup and outgroup members when people are reminded of death. We hypothesized that under mortality salience, emotions that signal social distance promote worldview defense (i.e., increased ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation), whereas emotions that signal affiliation promote affiliation need (i.e., reduced ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation). In three studies, participants viewed emotional displays of ingroup and/or outgroup members after a mortality salience or control manipulation. Results revealed that under mortality salience, anger increased ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation (Study 1), enhanced perceived overlap with the ingroup (Study 3), and increased positive facial behavior to ingroup displays—measured via the Facial Action Coding System (Studies 1 and 2) and electromyography of the zygomaticus major muscle (Study 3). In contrast, happiness decreased ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation (Study 2), and increased positive facial behavior towards outgroup members (Study 3). The findings suggest that, in times of threat, emotional displays can determine whether people move away from unfamiliar others or try to form as many friendly relations as possible