Friend or Ally: Whether Cross-Group Contact Undermines Collective Action Depends on What Advantaged Group Members Say (or Don’t Say)

Abstract

Previous research shows that positive contact with members of advantaged groups can undermine collective action among the disadvantaged. The present work provides the first experimental evidence of this effect and introduces a moderator which highlights the fundamental role of communication about perceptions of the legitimacy of intergroup inequality. Study 1 (N = 267) focused on the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered community's struggle for same-sex marriage in California. In Study 2 (N = 81), cross-group contact was initiated between members of two universities that differ in social status. Results revealed that positive cross-group contact undermined public collective action among the disadvantaged when the advantaged-group partner described their group's advantaged position as legitimate or when they did not communicate their feelings about intergroup inequality (leaving them ambiguous). In contrast, when the advantaged-group partner clearly described the intergroup inequality as illegitimate, cross-group contact did not undermine participation in public collective action.

Intergroup Contact and Social Change

“…Contrary to a growing body of cross-sectional (e.g., Cakal et al, 2011), longitudinal , and experimental (Becker et al, 2013) research, positive contact was not (negatively) associated with collective action. Rather than contradict previous findings, the present research could change their interpretation.…”

“…In line with these hypotheses, positive contact was associated with less collective action in cross-sectional (e.g., Cakal et al, 2011), longitudinal (Tropp, Hawi, van Laar, & Levin, 2012), and experimental research (Becker et al, 2013) among a variety of disadvantaged groups. The present research, in contrast, studied how both negative and positive contact relates to collective action.…”

Jamaica, Three Years Later: Effects of Intensified Pro-Gay Activism on Severe Prejudice Against Lesbians and Gay Men

“…In contrast, personal prejudice is more effectively handled with strategies that promote cross-group friendship and harmony, such as intergroup contact and its derivatives (West & Hewstone, 2012a;West, Husnu, & Lipps, 2014). Some researchers have noted a potential tension between these strategies, finding that the promotion of harmony can undermine the fight for equal rights and privileges, and vice-versa (Becker, Wright, Lubensky, & Zhou, 2013;Becker & Wright, 2011;Dixon, Tropp, Durrheim, & Tredoux, 2010;Saguy, Tausch, Dovidio, & Pratto, 2009). …”

Intraminority Support for and Participation in Race-Based Collective Action Movements: An Intersectional Perspective

“…There are established bodies of literature on collective action movements and political activism present in sociology (Morris, 1992;Oliver, Marwell, & Teixeira, 1985), economics (Commons & Parsons, 1950;Sandler & Hartley, 2001), and political science (Muller & Opp, 1986), while much of the psychological literature focuses more on collective action as individual level behaviors. Psychological research on collective action focuses on the conditions under which these behaviors occur, what fosters collective action movements, and the processes underlying them (Becker, Wright, Lubensky, & Zhou, 2013;Mueller & Tarrow, 1995;Ostrom, 2000;Wright, 2000).…”