Double relative deprivation, which has been virtually ignored in research on relative deprivation, was expected to predict women's collective action over and above egoistic and collective deprivation. The role of socio-political resources in perceiving deprivation and participation in action was also investigated. Female students (N=164) completed a questionnaire designed to assess their perceptions of egoistic, collective, double relative deprivation (defined as the interaction between egoistic and collective deprivation), resource availability and participation in collective action. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that double relative deprivation predicted collective action over and above egoistic and collective relative deprivation, and that resource availability also uniquely predicted action. Implications for expanding conceptual and operational definitions of these constructs are discussed. Double Relative Deprivation 3On December 6, 1989, at the UniversitÈ de Montreal, Canada, a man entered a classroom of engineering students waving a semi-automatic rifle. He forced the male students from the room, and to the women he yelled, "You are feminists. I hate feminists." He killed fourteen women, injured more, then turned the rifle on himself.His suicide note made apparent his intentions to send " the feminists, who have always ruined my life, to their Maker" (LÈpine, as cited in Malette & Chalouh, 1991).The tragedy of the "Montreal Massacre" inspired women across the country to participate in collective actions 1 . Women who had rarely acted on behalf of women's rights began to participate in candlelight vigils and protests to "take back the night", and to lobby for governmental investigation into violence against women and new legislation on gun control (Malette & Chalouh, 1991). However, women's increased action became a point of controversy in a nationwide media debate which questioned the motivation behind their actions. On the one hand, women's increased collective action was attributed to their awareness of their vulnerability as targets of violence; if it could happen to the fourteen students simply for being women, it could happen to any woman, including oneself (Lacelle, as cited in Malette & Chalouh, 1991). In contrast, others argued that women's participation in action was instead due to a perception that useful socio-political resources were now available; women chose to act because they perceived widespread attention and sympathy that provided them with the opportunity to advance their position (St. Jean, as cited in Malette & Chalouh, 1991).The controversy that was played out in the Canadian media is also seen in Double Relative Deprivation 4 alternative theoretical approaches to explaining collective action. In particular, relative deprivation theory suggests that individuals act to benefit the group when they became aware of their disadvantage. In contrast, resource mobilization theory suggests that individuals act when they believe that important socio-political resources are...

No abstract

To explain why minority group members recognize less personal than group discrimination, research has focused on cognitive processes. Although within self-categorization theory it may be argued that the discrepancy is a function of a salient social self that perceptually discounts the personal self, it can also be argued that depersonalization allows for the cognitive possibility of perceiving similar amounts of personal and group discrimination. The present study suggests that, consistent with group consciousness theories, the social self may serve to both discount as well as integrate the social self, depending on the way in which the social self is defined. Using structural equation modeling, the present study finds that defining the social self along social experiences is associated with lower personal/group discrimination discrepancy scores, which in turn are associated with greater participation in collective action. Implications for different definitions of the social self are discussed.

Nutzungsbedingungen

Relative deprivation and group consciousness theories differ in their predictions of how personal discrimination and personal discontent will be related to taking collective action. According to relative deprivation theory, assessments of personal status should be unrelated to taking collective action.In contrast, group consciousness theories suggest that while perceiving personal discrimination is necessary for collective action to occur, feelings of personal discontent may inhibit it. Female students completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of, and affective responses to personal discrimination, as well as their participation in collective actions. A hierarchical regression analysis found that personal discrimination and discontent interacted such that among women who perceived personal discrimination, women took the most collective actions when they did not feel personally discontent with their status. Implications for the relationship between negative emotions and intergroup behavior were discussed.