Social Dominance Orientation

A Social Dominance Orientation is an intergroup orientation that is a psychological manifestation of social hierarchy mechanisms reflecting preference for group-based hierarchy and support for dominant group supremacy over subordinate groups.

• AKA: SDO, Group Dominance Preference, Hierarchy Enhancement Orientation, Anti-Egalitarian Orientation.
• Context:
  • It can typically predict Prejudicial Attitudes toward low-status groups.
  • It can typically support Discriminatory Policy maintaining social inequality.
  • It can typically correlate with Right-Wing Authoritarianism in political attitudes.
  • It can typically oppose Social Welfare Programs benefiting disadvantaged groups.
  • It can typically endorse Meritocracy Myths justifying status differences.
  • ...
  • It can often manifest in Competitive Worldviews emphasizing zero-sum outcomes.
  • It can often influence Career Choices toward hierarchy-enhancing professions.
  • It can often predict Hostile Sexism and racial prejudice.
  • It can often resist Diversity Initiatives promoting group equality.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Low Social Dominance Orientation to being a High Social Dominance Orientation, depending on its hierarchy preference intensity.
  • It can range from being a Dominance Social Dominance Orientation to being an Anti-Egalitarianism Social Dominance Orientation, depending on its motivational component emphasis.
  • It can range from being a Subtle Social Dominance Orientation to being a Blatant Social Dominance Orientation, depending on its expression overtness level.
  • It can range from being a Domain-Specific Social Dominance Orientation to being a Generalized Social Dominance Orientation, depending on its application scope breadth.
  • ...
  • It can interact with System Justification Tendency to maintain status quo.
  • It can combine with Social Identity to shape intergroup behavior.
  • It can influence Moral Reasoning about resource distribution.
  • It can affect Empathic Responses to outgroup suffering.
  • It can predict Political Ideology and voting behavior.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Economic Social Dominance Orientations, such as:
    • Wealth Inequality Social Dominance Orientation supporting economic stratification.
    • Labor Exploitation Social Dominance Orientation justifying worker subjugation.
    • Corporate Hierarchy Social Dominance Orientation in business leadership.
  • Political Social Dominance Orientations, such as:
    • Nationalist Social Dominance Orientation promoting ethnic supremacy.
    • Colonial Social Dominance Orientation supporting territorial domination.
    • Authoritarian Social Dominance Orientation endorsing political repression.
  • Social Social Dominance Orientations, such as:
    • Gender Social Dominance Orientation maintaining patriarchal structure.
    • Racial Social Dominance Orientation preserving racial hierarchy.
    • Class Social Dominance Orientation defending social stratification.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Egalitarian Orientation, which values group equality without hierarchy preference.
  • Social Justice Orientation, which seeks systemic change without dominance motive.
  • Universal Orientation, which emphasizes human commonality without group ranking.
  • Humanitarian Orientation, which prioritizes collective welfare without supremacy goal.
• See: Social Hierarchy Mechanism, Interpersonal Exploitation Pattern, Jim Sidanius, Social Dominance Theory, Intergroup Relations, Prejudice, System Justification, Right-Wing Authoritarianism, Political Psychology, Power Distance, Inequality, Discrimination.

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