Skip to main content
Log in

Reactions to Affirmative Action: Group Membership and Social Justice

  • Published:
Social Justice Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A program designed for either women, visible minorities, or disabled persons was rated by 264 women and men respondents. An analysis of variance revealed that reactions to affirmative action varied according to the sex of the respondent and the group targeted by the policy. Further analyses were conducted to examine the effects of two social justice concerns on support for affirmative action, that is, scope of justice (extending fair treatment onto others) and perceived threat on behalf of nondesignated groups. According to findings, the link between social justice concerns and reactions to the policy was affected by the group targeted by affirmative action. Furthermore, both social justice concerns were not equally important predictors of attitudes toward affirmative action for women and men respondents.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Beaton, A. M., and Tougas, F. (1997). The representation of women in management: The more, the merrier? Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 23: 773–782.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beaton, A. M., Tougas, F., and Joly, S. (1996). Neosexism among male managers: Is it a matter of numbers? J. Appl. Soc. Psychol. 26: 2189–2203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boeckmann, R. J., and Tyler, T. R. (1997). Commonsense justice and inclusion within the moral community—When do people receive procedural protection from other. Psychol. Publ. Policy Law 3: 362–380.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, S. (1992). Remedies for discrimination: Race, sex and affirmative action. Behav. Sci. Law 10: 245–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, S. (1996). Reactions to social categorization: Evaluating one argument against affirmative action. J. Appl. Soc. Psychol. 26: 1472–1493.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, L. H., Chrisler, J. C., and Quina, K. (eds.). (1998). Career Strategies for Women in Academe. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crosby, F. J., and Lubin, E. P. (1990). Extending the moral community: Logical and psychological dilemmas. J. Soc. Issues 46: 163–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dovidio, J. F., Mann, J. A., and Gaertner, S. L. (1989). Resistance to affirmative action: The implication of aversive racism. In Blanchard, F. A., and Crosby, F. J. (eds.), Affirmative Action in Perspective, Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 83–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher, J. F., and Chalmers, M.-C. (1991). Attitudes of Canadians toward affirmative action: Opposition, value pluralism, and nonattitudes. Pol. Behav. 13: 67–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox-Keller, E. (1985). Reflections on Gender and Science. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Franco, F. M., and Maass, A. (1999). Intentional control over prejudice: When the choice of the measure matters. Eur. J. Soc. Psychol. 29: 469–477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagendoorn, L. (1995). Intergroup biases in multiple group systems: The perception of ethnic hierarchies. In Stroebe, W., and Hewstone, M. (eds.), European Review of Social Psychology, John Wiley, New York, Vol. 6, pp. 199–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holloway, F. A. (1989). What is affirmative action? In Blanchard, F. A., and Crosby, F. J. (eds.), Affirmative Action in Perspective, Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 9–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hitt, M. A., and Keats, B. W. (1984). Empirical identification of thee criteria for effective affirmative action programs. J. Appl. Behav. Sci. 20: 203–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Human Resources Development Canada. (1998). Annual Report: Employment Equity Act, Department of Supply and Services Canada, Ottawa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaccard, J., Turrisi, R., and Wan, C. K. (1990). Interaction Effects in Multiple Regression, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, W. B., and Packer, A. H. (1987). Workforce 2000: Work and Workers for the Twenty-First Century. Hudson Institute, Indianapolis, IN.

  • Kravitz, D. A., and Platania, J. (1993). Attitudes and beliefs about affirmative action: Effects of target and of respondent sex and ethnicity. J. Appl. Psychol. 78: 928–938.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lind, E. A., and Tyler, T. R. (1988). The Social Psychology of Procedural Justice, Plenum Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovrich, N. P., Steel, B. S., and Hood, D. (1986). Equity versus productivity: Affirmative action and municipal police services. Publ. Prod. Rev. 39: 61–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murrell, A. J., Dietz-Uhler, B. L., Dovidio, J. F., Gaertner, S. L., and Drout, C. (1994). Aversive racism and resistance to affirmative action: Perceptions of justice are not necessarily color blind. Basic Appl. Soc. Psychol. 15: 71–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nacoste, R.W., and Hummels, B. (1994). Affirmative action and the behavior decision makers. J. Appl. Soc. Psychol. 24: 595–613.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newman, J. D. (1989). Affirmative action and the courts. In Blanchard, F. A., and Crosby, F. J. (eds.), Affirmative Action in Perspective, Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 31–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordstrom, C. R., Huffaker, B. J., and Williams, K. B. (1998). When physical disabilities are not liabilities: The role of applicant and interviewer characteristics on employment interview outcomes. J. Appl. Soc. Psychol. 28: 283–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Offermann, L. R., and Gowing, M. K. (1990). Organizations of the future: Changes and challenges. Am. Psychol. 45: 95–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opotow, S. (1990). Moral exclusion and injustice: An introduction. J. Soc. Issues 46: 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opotow, S. (1993). Animals and the scope of justice. J. Soc. Issues 49: 71–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opotow, S. (1995). Drawing the line: Social categorization, moral exclusion, and the scope of justice. In Bunker, B. B., and Rubin. J. Z. (eds.), Conflict, Cooperation and Justice, Jossey-Bass, San Fransisco, CA, pp. 347–369.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opotow, S. (1996). Affirmative action, fairness, and the scope of justice. J. Soc. Issues 52: 19–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratkanis, A. R., and Turner, M.E. (1996). The proactive removal of discriminatory barriers: Affirmative action as effective help. J. Soc. Issues 52: 111–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratkanis, A. R., and Turner, M. E. (1999). The significance of affirmative action for the souls of White folk: Further implications of a helping model. J. Soc. Issues 55: 787–815.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratto, F., Sidanius, J., and Stallworth, L. M. (1993). Sexual selection and the sexual and ethnic basis of social hierarchy. In Ellis, L. (ed.), Social Stratification and Socioeconomic Iinequality: A Comparative Biosocial Analysis, Praeger, Westport, CT, pp. 111–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raskin, C. (1994). Employment equity for the disabled in Canada. Int. Labour Rev. 133: 75–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J. G., and McIlwee, J. S. (1991). Men, women and the culture of Engineering. Soc. Q. 32: 403–421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sidanius, J., and Pratto, F. (1993). The inevitability of oppression and the dynamics of social dominance. In Sniderman, P. M., Tetlock, Ph. E., and Carmines, E. G. (eds.), Prejudice, Politics, and the American Dilemma, Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, pp. 173–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sidanius, J., Pratto, F., and Brief, D. (1995). Group dominance and the political psychology of gender: A cross-cultural comparison. Pol. Psychol. 16: 381–396.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sidanius, J., Pratto, F., and Rabinowitz, J. L. (1994). Gender, ethnic status, and ideological asymmetry: A social dominance interpretation. J. Cross-Cultural Psychol. 25: 194–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer, M. S. (1996). Effects of scope of justice, informant ethnicity and information frame on attitudes towards ethnicity-based selection. Int. J. Psychol. 31: 191–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, E. R., and Kluegel, J. R. (1984). Beliefs and attitudes about women's opportunity: Comparisons with beliefs about Blacks and a general perspective. Soc. Psychol. Q. 47:81–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, H. J., and Tyler, T. R. (1996). Justice and power: When will justice concerns encourage the advantaged to support policies which redistribute economic resources and the disadvantaged to willingly obey the law? Eur. J. Soc. Psychol. 26:171–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steel, B. S., and Lovrich, N. P. (1987). Equality and efficiency tradeoffs on affirmative action-Real or imagined? The case of women in policing. Soc. Sci. J. 24: 53–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, B. G., and Fidell, L. S. (1996). Using Multivariate Statistics, 3rd edn., Harper Collins, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, D. A. (1989). Affirmative action and presidential executive orders. In Blanchard, F. A., and Crosby, F. J. (eds.), Affirmative Action in Perspective, Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 21–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomasson, R. F., Crosby, F. J., and Herzberger, S. D. (1996). Affirmative Action: The Pros and Cons of Policy and Practice, The American University Press, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tougas, F., and Beaton, A. M. (1993). Affirmative action in the work place: For better or for worse. Appl. Psychol. Int. Rev. 42: 253–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tougas, F., Brown, R., Beaton, A. M., and Joly, S. (1995). Neosexism: Plus Ça change, plus c'st pareil. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 21: 842–849.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tougas, F., Brown, R., Beaton, A. M., and St-Pierre, L. (1999). Neosexism among women: The role of personally experienced social mobility attempts. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 25: 1487–1497.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tougas, F., Joly, S., Beaton, A. M., and St-Pierre, L. (1998). Préjugés racistes et évaluations négatives des programmes d'acc#x00E8;s à l'égalité et de leurs bénéficiaires. Can. J. Adm. Sci. 15: 245–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tougas, F., and Veilleux, F. (1992). Quelques déterminants des réactions des hommes et des femmes à l'action positive. Rev. québécoise psychol. 13: 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, T. R., Boeckmann, R. J., Smith, H. J., and Huo, Y. J. (1997). Social Justice in a Diverse Society, Westview Press, Boulder, CO.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Beaton, A.M., Tougas, F. Reactions to Affirmative Action: Group Membership and Social Justice. Social Justice Research 14, 61–78 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012575724550

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012575724550

Navigation