COMMUNICATION OF STATUS AND SOLIDARITY AS A FACTOR IN JUDGE-ATTORNEY INTERACTION.
Item
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Title
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COMMUNICATION OF STATUS AND SOLIDARITY AS A FACTOR IN JUDGE-ATTORNEY INTERACTION.
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Identifier
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AAI8120760
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identifier
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8120760
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Creator
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KIERSKY, SANDRA MAE.
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Date
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1981
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Social
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Abstract
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This study uncovers social-psychological mechanisms which block the rise of women and ethnic minorities in professional settings despite their increasing numbers in these institutions. The problem is examined through status and communication patterns between judges and attorneys in an appellate court. The setting, with its rituals and clear hierarchical structure, provided an ideal natural laboratory for this analysis of social power and symbolic interaction.;Observational techniques were employed to test the hypothesis that judges treat attorneys in ways that vary as a function of status attributes like age and sex. Trained observers recorded judicial behavior during 60 oral arguments on a scale which assigned all communications to status or solidarity norms. A highly significant factor analysis of the observational data revealed that social interaction in the court is strikingly patterned. Analysis of variance and mean comparisons confirmed decisively that differential treatment is present when judges interact with older males, younger males and females. A dramatic difference was found with women attorneys who received one-third the interaction men received from the bench. In addition, women were excluded from valuable aspects of interaction which normally serve to inform them (feedback) about the quality of their performance. This reduced pattern of interaction for women is termed polite inattention and is shown to have serious consequences for women which affect their abilities, motivation and levels of aspiration. Content analysis of interviews with nine appellate justices indicate that lack of perceived similarity or identification with women accounts, in large part, for this effect.;The findings have important implications for marginal group mobility in general and, affirmative action, equal opportunity and integration in particular. Until all groups represented at the lower levels of our institutions are well represented at the highest levels, subtle, out-of-awareness communication patterns are present which make the desired goal of equal opportunity very difficult to achieve. Specific strategies for overcoming these subtle barriers to professional advancement are explored; these include strategies for change at the social policy and individual levels.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
