Climate change threats increase modern racism as a function of social dominance orientation and ingroup identification

Abstract

Climate change threats increase modern racism as a function of social dominance orientation and ingroup identification Fatih Uenal 1,2

Social and ecological dominance orientations: Two sides of the same coin? Social and ecological dominance orientations predict decreased support for climate change mitigation policies

“…Resembling findings in the intraspecies domain among humans (conspecific: intragroup, intergroup relations), previous studies have shown an inverse relationship between SDO and pro-social attitudes towards non-human animals and the natural environment (e.g., Becker et al, 2019; Costello & Hodson, 2010; Dhont & Hodson, 2014; Dhont et al, 2016; Everett et al, 2019; Graça, 2020; Hoffarth et al, 2019; Hyers, 2006; Jylhä & Akrami, 2015; Milfont et al, 2013; Milfont & Sibley, 2014). For example, previous research has consistently shown that SDO is associated with lower levels of environmentalism (e.g., Milfont et al, 2018), with climate change denial (e.g., Jylhä et al, 2020), and also with decreased climate change threat perceptions (Uenal, Sidanius, Roozenbeek, & van der Linden, 2020).…”

“…Previous studies indicate that a sense of feeling threatened by climate change seems pivotal for increasing pro-social and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors aimed at mitigating the consequences of global warming (e.g., van der Linden et al, 2015). However, previous research also shows that individuals differ greatly in their climate change risk and threat perceptions (e.g., Hoffarth & Hodson, 2016; van der Linden, 2015; Uenal, Sidanius, Roozenbeek, & van der Linden, 2020). Therefore, a better understanding of individual difference variables influencing risk and threat perceptions seems important to increase public engagement with and individual responsibility to act on climate change.…”

“…Social dominance orientation (SDO) is a well-established, domain-specific individual difference variable assessing preferences concerning the hierarchical structure of human societies (Sidanius et al, 2017). Although SDO is primarily theorized to explain relationships among human social groups (e.g., racism, sexism; social dominance theory, SDT; Sidanius & Pratto, 1999), an increasing number of studies indicate an inverse relationship between SDO and pro-environmental attitudes associated with climate change (e.g., biodiversity loss, climate change denial; Jylhä et al, 2020; Uenal, Sidanius, Roozenbeek, & van der Linden, 2020). More specifically, these findings indicate that the more individuals prefer hierarchically organized societal arrangements in which some groups are on top and others on the bottom, the less they show pro-social attitudes benefitting humans as well as non-human animals, or the natural environment (e.g., racism, speciesism, anthropocentrism; Costello & Hodson, 2010; Dhont et al, 2016; Hyers, 2006; Jylhä & Akrami, 2015; Milfont et al, 2013; Stanley & Wilson, 2019).…”

“…Second, previous research has yet to examine the role of climate change risk and threat perceptions potentially mediating the relationship between social and ecological dominance orientations and pro-environmental attitudes (cf. for SDO see: Uenal, Sidanius, Roozenbeek, & van der Linden, 2020). Third, previous studies thus far have predominantly relied on non-behavioral measures (cf.…”

The Effects of Communicating Climate Change Threat: Mobilizing Anger and Authoritarian Affect Displacement

“…Moreover, in response to climate change threat exposure and in accordance with sharpening of authoritarian attitudes, those with authoritarian predispositions may develop greater preference for a response to climate change that is rooted in ecofascist ideologies (Taylor 2019), such as "addressing" the alleged overpopulation or the alleged immigration problem. Recent studies show, climate change threat increases intergroup threat perceptions and racism (Uenal et al 2021).…”