Suchergebnisse

Building upon two complimentary theoretical frameworks related to group relations (i.e., Intergroup Contact Theory and Peer Exposure), we examined how emerging adults' friendships with men and women were related to their hostile sexism, benevolent sexism, and sexual objectification attitudes. Participants were 212 college students ( M age = 20.20 years, SD = 2.08; 62% female; 58% White) from a large southwestern university. Results provided support for Intergroup Contact Theory and for a Peer Exposure effect, but only for men. Specifically, for men, having female friends was negatively associated with hostile sexism, and having male friends was positively related to hostile sexism; neither friendship type related to benevolent sexism. For women, no significant relations between friends and attitudes were found; this is likely due to the assessed attitudes being about women (their own group). The findings suggest a promising pathway to mitigate gender-based prejudice for men through cross-gender friendships.

This publication presents the proceedings of a colloquium on "Advancing and Strengthening Democratic Elections in Southern Africa" at Mount Etjo/Namibia in January 1992. The seminar was attended by representatives from all nine Southern African countries. (DÜI-Eng)

AbstractThough there is increasing awareness of the potential benefits of other‐gender interactions and friendships, there has been little research examining the factors that might act as barriers or promoters of such friendships. Our goal was to explore both individual‐level factors (i.e., gender identity) and indicators of the social environment (i.e., perceived peer norms) that might relate to other‐gender friendships. Sixth graders (N = 396, 47% girls; 65% White) nominated friends in their classrooms, reported their similarity to both own‐ and other‐gender peers and reported on perceived peer norms related to other‐gender interaction. Results indicated that, in general, feeling similar to other‐gender youth was associated with more other‐gender friends. Positive peer norms (e.g., heightened respect) but not negative norms (e.g., teasing) also were associated with more other‐gender friends. Findings have implications for the importance of broadening our understanding of friendship homophily to consider gendered interests/similarities in addition to gender category. Further, the promotion of positive peer norms over negative ones might be an effective means of intervention to promote other‐gender friendships.

Abstract The goal of this study was to investigate differences in the social context of peer victimization for preschoolers and kindergarteners. Data were collected from 168 children. For preschoolers, neither social acceptance nor friendships were significantly related to peer victimization. Instead, playing with peers and exposure to aggressive peers were associated with higher rates of peer victimization. For kindergarteners, exposure to aggressive peers also contributed to the risk for peer victimization, but being liked by peers and having friends were inversely related to victimization, thereby providing a buffering effect. The developmental implications of these findings are discussed.

Dynamical systems theory is becoming more popular in social and developmental science. However, unfamiliarity with dynamical analysis techniques remains an obstacle for developmentalists who would like to quantitatively apply dynamics in their own research. The goal of this article is to address this issue by clearly and simply presenting several analytical techniques for the study of dynamics. We placed emphasis on the use of dynamical analysis techniques for the examination of social and developmental phenomena. We present descriptions of five techniques, which include examples of how they have been or can be used in developmental research, with reference to seminal and approachable resources when appropriate.

AbstractThis short‐term longitudinal study assessed the relations between the social context of children's play (playgroup size, playgroup gender composition, and play setting) in the fall and peer victimization in the spring for low‐income, minority, preschool girls and boys. Gender differences in these associations, as well as the moderating effect of children's individual problem behavior, were considered. Using a multiple‐brief observation procedure, preschoolers' (N= 255, 49 percent girls) naturally occurring play in each type of social context was recorded throughout the fall semester. Observers also rated children's victimization and problem behaviors in the fall, and teachers rated children's victimization at the end of the school year. Findings suggested that social context variables predicted spring victimization above and beyond fall victimization and individual levels of problem behavior, and that these associations varied for boys and girls. The findings signify the importance of the social context on changes in peer victimization.

AbstractFriendships have the potential to perpetuate or mitigate youth's aggressive behavior. We investigated concurrent and longitudinal effects of friendships on aggression by examining both structural (size and interconnectedness of the local friendship network) and behavioral (friends' aggression) friendship features. Participants were 868 sixth to eighth grade middle‐school students (M = 12.10 years; 49.9% girls; 44% Latina/o) who completed questionnaires at two time points. Participants nominated their friends; reciprocal friendship nominations were used to calculate structural friendship group features (size and interconnectedness). Peer nominations were also used to measure youth's and their friends' aggression. Having more reciprocal friends was associated with more aggression concurrently (particularly for youth whose friends were highly aggressive), and having an interconnected friendship group was associated with decreased aggression over time. Given that findings were different for group size and interconnectedness, we discuss the unique importance of each of these structural friendship features. Practical implications regarding the potential to decrease aggressive behavior based on specific friendship features are also discussed.

There are costs and benefits to conforming and resisting gender norms, and this ratio likely changes during the transition to adulthood. In this paper, we explore the development of young men's masculine norm resistance from adolescence through emerging adulthood. Using thematic analysis on interviews with cisgender young adult men who reported feeling at least somewhat gender atypical ( N = 30, Mage = 23, White = 74%), we found that: (a) men reported more direct and indirect gender norm resistance (GNR) as they aged, (b) as men felt less pressure to conform to gender norms, they reported more ease with expressing indirect GNR, and (c) that direct GNR generally paralleled developing an understanding of critical consciousness of broader social inequities. Our study answers the call to utilize a developmental approach to study men and masculinities, and in so doing, illuminates men's dynamic navigation of masculine norms during the transition into adulthood.