Article Version of Record

When Inequality Fails: Power, Group Dominance, and Societal Change

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Pratto, Felicia
Stewart, Andrew L.
Bou Zeineddine, Fouad

Abstract / Description

Social dominance theory was developed to account for why societies producing surplus take and maintain the form of group-based dominance hierarchies, in which at least one socially-constructed group has more power than another, and in which men are more powerful than women and adults more powerful than children. Although the theory has always allowed for societies to differ in their severity of group-based dominance and how it is implemented, it has predicted that alternative forms of societal organization will occur rarely and not last. This paper revisits aspects of the theory that allow for the possibility of societal alternatives and change. We also consider boundary conditions for the theory, and whether its current theoretical apparatus can account for societal change. By expanding the typical three-level dynamic system to describe societies (micro-meso-macro) into four levels (including meta) to consider how societies relate to one another, we identify political tensions that are unstable power structures rather than stable hierarchies. In research on institutions, we identify smaller-scale alternative forms of social organization. We identify logical, empirical, and theoretical shortcomings in social dominance theory’s account of stability and change, consider alternative forms of social organization, and suggest fruitful avenues for theoretical extension.

Keyword(s)

societal change power inequality group dominance

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2013-12-16

Journal title

Journal of Social and Political Psychology

Volume

1

Issue

1

Page numbers

132–160

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Pratto, F., Stewart, A. L., & Bou Zeineddine, F. (2013). When Inequality Fails: Power, Group Dominance, and Societal Change. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 132–160. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.97
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Pratto, Felicia
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Stewart, Andrew L.
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Bou Zeineddine, Fouad
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-26T12:44:34Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-26T12:44:34Z
  • Date of first publication
    2013-12-16
  • Abstract / Description
    Social dominance theory was developed to account for why societies producing surplus take and maintain the form of group-based dominance hierarchies, in which at least one socially-constructed group has more power than another, and in which men are more powerful than women and adults more powerful than children. Although the theory has always allowed for societies to differ in their severity of group-based dominance and how it is implemented, it has predicted that alternative forms of societal organization will occur rarely and not last. This paper revisits aspects of the theory that allow for the possibility of societal alternatives and change. We also consider boundary conditions for the theory, and whether its current theoretical apparatus can account for societal change. By expanding the typical three-level dynamic system to describe societies (micro-meso-macro) into four levels (including meta) to consider how societies relate to one another, we identify political tensions that are unstable power structures rather than stable hierarchies. In research on institutions, we identify smaller-scale alternative forms of social organization. We identify logical, empirical, and theoretical shortcomings in social dominance theory’s account of stability and change, consider alternative forms of social organization, and suggest fruitful avenues for theoretical extension.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Pratto, F., Stewart, A. L., & Bou Zeineddine, F. (2013). When Inequality Fails: Power, Group Dominance, and Societal Change. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 132–160. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.97
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2195-3325
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1323
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1678
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.97
  • Keyword(s)
    societal change
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    power
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    inequality
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    group dominance
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    When Inequality Fails: Power, Group Dominance, and Societal Change
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    Journal of Social and Political Psychology
  • Page numbers
    132–160
  • Volume
    1
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record