The nature of social dominance orientation: theorizing and measuring preferences for intergroup inequality using the new SDO₇ scale

A new conceptualization and measurement of social dominance orientation-individual differences in the preference for group based hierarchy and inequality-is introduced. In contrast to previous measures of social dominance orientation that were designed to be unidimensional, the new measure (SDO7) embeds theoretically grounded subdimensions of SDO-SDO-Dominance (SDO-D) and SDO-Egalitarianism (SDO-E). SDO-D constitutes a preference for systems of group-based dominance in which high status groups forcefully oppress lower status groups. SDO-E constitutes a preference for systems of group-based inequality that are maintained by an interrelated network of subtle hierarchy-enhancing ideologies and social policies. Confirmatory factor and criterion validity analyses confirmed that SDO-D and SDO-E are theoretically distinct and dissociate in terms of the intergroup outcomes they best predict. For the first time, distinct personality and individual difference bases of SDO-D and SDO-E are outlined. We clarify the construct validity of SDO by strictly assessing a preference for dominance hierarchies in general, removing a possible confound relating to support for hierarchy benefitting the ingroup. Consistent with this, results show that among members of a disadvantaged ethnic minority group (African Americans), endorsement of SDO7 is inversely related to ingroup identity. We further demonstrate these effects using nationally representative samples of U.S. Blacks and Whites, documenting the generalizability of these findings. Finally, we introduce and validate a brief 4-item measure of each dimension. This article importantly extends our theoretical understanding of one of the most generative constructs in social psychology, and introduces powerful new tools for its measurement

Phase transition classes in triplet and quadruplet reaction diffusion models

Phase transitions of reaction-diffusion systems with site occupation restriction and with particle creation that requires n=3,4 parents, whereas explicit diffusion of single particles (A) is present are investigated in low dimensions by mean-field approximation and simulations. The mean-field approximation of general nA -> (n+k)A, mA -> (m-l)A type of lattice models is solved and novel kind of critical behavior is pointed out. In d=2 dimensions the 3A -> 4A, 3A -> 2A model exhibits a continuous mean-field type of phase transition, that implies d_c<2 upper critical dimension. For this model in d=1 extensive simulations support a mean-field type of phase transition with logarithmic corrections unlike the Park et al.'s recent study (Phys. Rev E {\bf 66}, 025101 (2002)). On the other hand the 4A -> 5A, 4A -> 3A quadruplet model exhibits a mean-field type of phase transition with logarithmic corrections in d=2, while quadruplet models in 1d show robust, non-trivial transitions suggesting d_c=2. Furthermore I show that a parity conserving model 3A -> 5A, 2A->0 in d=1 has a continuous phase transition with novel kind of exponents. These results are in contradiction with the recently suggested implications of a phenomenological, multiplicative noise Langevin equation approach and with the simulations on suppressed bosonic systems by Kockelkoren and Chat\'e (cond-mat/0208497).Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures included, Updated with new data, figures, table, to be published in PR

Field Theory Approaches to Nonequilibrium Dynamics

It is explained how field-theoretic methods and the dynamic renormalisation group (RG) can be applied to study the universal scaling properties of systems that either undergo a continuous phase transition or display generic scale invariance, both near and far from thermal equilibrium. Part 1 introduces the response functional field theory representation of (nonlinear) Langevin equations. The RG is employed to compute the scaling exponents for several universality classes governing the critical dynamics near second-order phase transitions in equilibrium. The effects of reversible mode-coupling terms, quenching from random initial conditions to the critical point, and violating the detailed balance constraints are briefly discussed. It is shown how the same formalism can be applied to nonequilibrium systems such as driven diffusive lattice gases. Part 2 describes how the master equation for stochastic particle reaction processes can be mapped onto a field theory action. The RG is then used to analyse simple diffusion-limited annihilation reactions as well as generic continuous transitions from active to inactive, absorbing states, which are characterised by the power laws of (critical) directed percolation. Certain other important universality classes are mentioned, and some open issues are listed.Comment: 54 pages, 9 figures, Lecture Notes for Luxembourg Summer School "Ageing and the Glass Transition", submitted to Springer Lecture Notes in Physics (www.springeronline/com/series/5304/

Gendering the careers of young professionals: some early findings from a longitudinal study. in Organizing/theorizing: developments in organization theory and practice

Wonders whether companies actually have employees best interests at heart across physical, mental and spiritual spheres. Posits that most organizations ignore their workforce – not even, in many cases, describing workers as assets! Describes many studies to back up this claim in theis work based on the 2002 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference, in Cardiff, Wales