Cultural identity and intergroup relations.
Item
-
Title
-
Cultural identity and intergroup relations.
-
Identifier
-
AAI9315511
-
identifier
-
9315511
-
Creator
-
Walker, Martin.
-
Contributor
-
Sponsor: Laurence J. Gould
-
Date
-
1993
-
Language
-
English
-
Publisher
-
City University of New York.
-
Subject
-
Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies | Psychology, Social | Business Administration, Management | Psychology, Industrial
-
Abstract
-
The dissertation examines the interaction of African American, Latino and White groups engaged in an experimental organizational system. Using methodology which arises from the intergroup behavior literature of Tajfel, Doise, etc. and open systems theories developed by Rice, Miller, etc. at the Tavistock Institute, I develop an experiential learning conference which examines cultural identity and group dynamics by way of its structure, literature, and the participation of a multi-ethnic membership and staff. The format of this experiential learning workshop on group and intergroup processes also allows for data collection and offers participants valuable opportunities for learning about cultural identity and intergroup processes.;Using the open systems and socio-psychological approaches to intergroup relations, the dissertation examines differences in group boundaries, representation, and authority relations.;The method for this is observation and data gathering during a group relations conference attended by 32 professionals and students, both graduate and undergraduate. Time-series domain data on leadership, representation, and the management of group boundaries, is recorded live using paper and pencil instruments. Observers also tape record descriptions after each group event for later transcription and qualitative analysis of narrative data. Collection of data by these two methods allows empirical cross checking of narrative data and provides descriptions of both group and intergroup processes, as well as group profiles. These are then used to generate hypotheses about how group cultural identity affects collaboration within multi-ethnic systems of organization.;Initial analysis of the data confirms the impression which arose during the conference that collaboration across cultural and ethnic boundaries is extremely difficult when issues of ethnicity which are not normally addressed in institutions are made conscious and openly addressed. This study does not attempt to address notions of culturally specific ethnic group behaviors, but rather examines the manner in which intergroup dynamics such as differentiation, competition, projection, and projective- identification manifest themselves in a multi-ethnic system.;The results throw light on how the perception of ethnic differences is socially constructed and strongly supports an alternative view to race or genetically based theories of ethnic differences. The data confirms Harold and Bridger's observation that emotional qualities are differentially distributed across the different groups in an intergroup event. The meaning of these differences are then examined in relation to other group variables and suggest that intergroup dynamics can serve as a convenient "confirmation" of stereotypes. Differences in sentience around ethnic categories are found to account for different styles of leadership and subsequent addressing of tasks.;This study concludes with a detailed examination of the projective processes which coincide with stereotyping behaviors, and elaborates on Bion's model to explain them. Future research should examine these same processes using different ethnic categories and should address the absence of Bion's basic assumption pairing in multi-ethnic settings.
-
Type
-
dissertation
-
Source
-
PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
-
degree
-
Ph.D.
