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BRIDGING SOCIAL GAPS
Motivating people to work for diversity
Presented by James Manuel, Psy.D.
MILLWOOD HOSPITAL
September 12
2014
Presentation Overview
 Social Distance: Keeping us from a just
society
 Measuring and predicting social distance
 How distance hurts us
 Why it matters to you
 Tools for closing the gaps
BRIDGING SOCIAL GAPS
INTRO TO SOCIAL DISTANCE
definition
 Social distance constitutes one element in a family of
related concepts such as prejudice, stereotypes, and
ethnocentrism.
 Broadly defined, social distance refers to how close
members of a group feel towards members of another
group. It ranges from intimacy to remoteness and
repugnance (Yuchtman-Yaar & Inbar, 1986).
History
 When did this all begin?
• Big Bang
• Adam & Eve
• Part of nature
 Why does it persist?
• Low motivation to change
• Lack of discussion
 How can we work to change things?
• Reduce your contribution
• Help raise awareness
Historical Examples of Separatism
God & man
Man & woman
Adults & children
Person & person
Homosexual &
Heterosexual
Rich & poor
Nation & Nation
Disabled & Able-bodied
White & Non-white
Family & family
Communist & Democratic
Liberal & Conservative
Black & White
Jew & Christian
Thin & obese
Beautiful & ugly
Muslim & Jew
North & South
East & West
Protestant & Catholic
Old & young
American Slave Trade
American Slave Trade
American Slave Trade
Jim Crow
Nazi Occupation
Patriotism and solidarity?
Persecution of Jews
Abu Ghraib
Haves & Have nots
Family Violence
Results from Social Distance studies
 Different ethnic groups have different levels
of power & privilege.
 The dominant group sets standards for
superiority and inferiority.
 To increase status groups must increase
their similarity to the culturally dominant
group.
 All groups consistently rank themselves
higher than they are ranked by other groups.
To separate or come together…
That is the question.
 Is social distancing malicious or benign?
 Is it good or bad?
 Who gets hurt?
VIDEO: Chappelle Show Black White
Supremist
We can measure Social Distance
POPULAR TESTS: Bogardus’ Scale & IAT
 Tests measure our comfort in engaging in
relationships with people from different social
groups.
 Bogardus Scale ex. Would you marry? Would you
accept as a neighbor? Would you exclude from
your country?
 IAT: Example:
http://www.understandingprejudice.org/iat/index2.
htm
Prediction Models
 Instrumental approach:
• Based on interest and goals
 Conflict model:
• Based on domination, control, and subjugation
 Resource-Dependency model:
• Based on one group controlling valuable resources
3 WAYS TO GET ALONG
 Three types of interactions:
– Symmetrical (High / High)
• Groups seek to maintain equally great social
distances
– Symmetrical (Low / Low)
• Groups are mutually inclined toward closeness
– Asymmetrical (High / Low)
• One group seeks to increase social distance while
the other tries to decrease it
CLASSIC EXAMPLE
Social distance in Israeli-Arab conflict: A resource
dependency analysis (Yuchtman-Yaar & Inbar, 1986).
Results: Outcomes match predictions…
- Israelis desire more distance from Palestinians, while
Palestinians desire to be closer.
- Egyptians are unwilling to have as close a relationship as
the Israelis would like to have with them.
The Psychological Gap
 How do we decide if someone is similar or different; near or far?
– High construal = Abstract = Distal (far)
– Low construal = Concrete = Proximal (near)
• *Ex. Personal ambitions can be abstractly represented as “being someone” or
more concretely as “being a successful playwright.”
• *Ex. A person with average sight may abstractly view a speaker at their new
job orientation who is blind as a disabled person, or more concretely as a
knowledgeable professional.
 Construal level is influenced by background and experiences, attitudes,
mood and affect, cognitive ability, etc. The same object can be
construed in many ways, at different levels of abstraction.
Video: A Class Divided (Blue Eyes Brown Eyes)
Social Rejection of Persons with
Disabilities
 Cultural views about mental illness
– More likely to be violent.
– Less often perceived as potential friends (Gordon, Tantillo,
Feldman, Perrone, 2004).
 Social Interactions between those labeled as
Mentally Retarded (MR) and those with “normal”
cognitive functioning.
– Workers without MR often have three times more interaction with
coworkers also without MR than those with MR (Ferguson, McDonnell,
and Drew, 1993).
Social Rejection of Persons with
Disabilities (Cont’d)
 Gordon’s study found that those who have had
more contact with disability issues expressed
similar discomfort as those without contact (Gordon,
Tantillo, Feldman, Perrone, 2004).
 In studies examining attitudes towards disabling
conditions, mental retardation and mental illness
have consistently been cited as the least socially
accepted (Lyons and Hayes, 1993).
 Video: Pumpkin (2002)
WHY DO YOU CARE?
 Effects on Job Performance
 Professional Conduct
 Professional Relationships
 Creating a Positive Work Environment
Suggestions for bridging the gaps
 1) Increase your awareness
 2) Re-evaluate your assumptions
 3) Be transformed by diverse groups
 4) Engage in an ongoing dialogue
 5) Be a lover of peace & justice
References

Amodio, D. M.., Devine, P.G. (2006). Stereotyping and evaluation in implicit race bias:
Evidence for independent constructs and unique effects on behavior. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology. 91, 652-661.

Bar-Anan, Y., Liberman, N., Trope, Y. (2006). The association between psychological
distance and construal level: Evidence from an implicit association test. Journal
of Experimental Psychology: General. 135 (4), 609-622.

Case, K. A., Hemmings, A. (2005). Distancing strategies: White women preservice
teachers and antiracist curriculum. Urban Education. 40 (6) 606-626.

Corrigan, P. W., Green, A., Lundin, R., Kubiak, M. A., Penn, D. L. (2001). Familiarity
with and social distance from people who have serious mental illness.
Psychiatric Services. 52 (7), 953-958.

Gordon, P. A., Tantillo, J. C., Feldman, D., Perrone, K. (2004). Attitudes regarding
interpersonal relationships with persons with mental illness and mental
retardation. Journal of Rehabilitation. 70 (1), 50-56.
References

Hodson, G., Esses, V. M. (2002). Distancing oneself from negative attributes
and the personal/group discrimination discrepancy. Journal of
Experimental
Social Psychology. 38, 500-507.

Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Falcato, L., Rossler, W. (2004). Factors influencing social
distance toward people with mental illness. Community Mental
Health
Journal. 40 (3), 265-274.

Swim, J. K., Ferguson, M. J., Hyers, L. L. (1999). Avoiding stigma by
association:
subtle prejudice against lesbians in the form of social distancing. Basic and
Applied Social Psychology, 21 (1), 61-68.

Triandis, H. C., Triandis, L., M. (1960). Race, social class, religion,
nationality as determinants of social distance. Journal of
Social Psychology. 61 (1), 110-118.

Yuchtman-Yaar, E., Inbar, M. (1986). Social distance in the IsraeliArab conflict
a resource-dependency analysis. Comparative
Political Studies, 19 (3),
283-316.
and
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