1,721,095 research outputs found
Anti-Americanism in Europe: Theoretical Mechanisms and Empirical Evidence
Full text linkOne of the most popular explanations for post-9/11 anti-Americanism argues that resentment against America and Americans is mainly a function of the US government’s unpopular actions. The present article challenges this interpretation: first, it argues that neither the vitality of the resentment in times when the United States had no influence in the respective parts of the world nor its recent radical manifestations are accounted for in a political reductionist framework. In fact, specific traditions of anti-Americanism have an influence on the negative attitudes observed today, as a comparison between Britain, France, Germany, and Poland reveals. Second, this article suggests an alternative theoretical approach. Anti-Americanism can be explained by two basic mechanisms: it functions as a strategy to project denied and disliked self-concepts onto an external object, and it offers an interpretation frame for complex social processes that allows to reduce cognitive dissonance. Multivariate analyses based on empirical data collected in the Pew surveys of 2002 and 2007 show the fruitfulness of our theoretical approach
Consumer Behavior in Moral Markets. On the Relevance of Identity, Justice Beliefs, Social Norms, Status and Trust in Ethical Consumption
Full text linkThis article addresses ethical consumer behavior and uses the purchase of Fair Trade (FT) coffee to gain insights into determinants of ‘moral behavior’ in the marketplace. Our primary concern is to clarify which theoretical concepts and determinants are more useful than others in explaining FT consumption. We compare the explanatory power of consumer budget restrictions, consumer identity, social and personal norms, social status, justice beliefs, and trust. Our second aim is methodological; we contrast data on self-reported consumption of FT coffee with experimental data on hypothetical choices of different coffee products. To gain insights into the robustness of our measurement and findings, we test our propositions using two samples of undergraduate students from Germany and the United States. Our data show that consumer identity and personal norms are the major determinants of FT consumption in both samples, the results from survey-based data and from our experimental data are similar in this regard. Further, we demonstrate that studies based on a limited number of determinants might overestimate effects; the effect of justice beliefs for instance vanishes if other determinants are taken into account
Different Routes to Explain Pro-Environmental Behavior: an Overview and Assessment
No full textA variety of theoretical approaches have been taken in an attempt to understand, explain, and promote pro-environmental behavior. The present article gives an overview, including speci c applications, and identi es and discusses various strategies used by researchers to deal with the availability of di erent approaches. The overview includes elementary rational choice theory, the theory of planned behavior, norm-activation theory, theories of habitual behavior, and theories within a social dilemma framework. Strategies identi ed are 'extending existing theories by single explanatory factors', 'comparing theories' in a competitive manner, and 'combining theories' in an integrative manner. It is argued that research would bene t from more standardization in empirical applications, from more competitive theory testing as opposed to integrative theory testing, and from an evaluation of approaches on theoretical grounds as opposed to focusing solely on empirical performance
Different Routes to Explain Pro-Environmental Behavior: an Overview and Assessment
No full textA variety of theoretical approaches have been taken in an attempt to understand, explain, and promote pro-environmental behavior. The present article gives an overview, including speci c applications, and identi es and discusses various strategies used by researchers to deal with the availability of di erent approaches. The overview includes elementary rational choice theory, the theory of planned behavior, norm-activation theory, theories of habitual behavior, and theories within a social dilemma framework. Strategies identi ed are 'extending existing theories by single explanatory factors', 'comparing theories' in a competitive manner, and 'combining theories' in an integrative manner. It is argued that research would bene t from more standardization in empirical applications, from more competitive theory testing as opposed to integrative theory testing, and from an evaluation of approaches on theoretical grounds as opposed to focusing solely on empirical performance
Prix, morale et consommation éthique : une expérience de terrain doublée d’une enquête consécutive sur l’achat de produits écologiques
Full text linkEs ist eine grundlegende Frage der empirischen Konsumforschung, inwieweit ökonomische und moralische Anreize ethisches Konsumhandeln beeinflussen. Bisherige Studien beruhen größtenteils auf Befragungsdaten und selbstberichtetem Verhalten. Aufgrund der Tendenz zu sozial erwünschten Antworten in Befragungen kann es sein, dass die Handlungsrelevanz moralischer Auffassungen überschätzt und jene von Preisanreizen unterschätzt wird. Der Beitrag präsentiert ein Feldexperiment zum Kauf ökologischer Produkte, in dem der Effekt einer Preisreduktion und einer Normaktivierung getestet wird. Es handelt sich um eine Replikation des Feldexperiments zum Kauf von Bio-Eiern, das zuerst von Andreas Diekmann durchgeführt wurde. Allerdings wurde das Experiment um eine Kundenbefragung und eine Beobachtung des tatsächlichen Kaufverhaltens der Befragten erweitert. Im Feldexperiment zeigt sich ein starker Effekt der Preisreduktion, aber kein Effekt der Normaktivierung. Die Befragungs- und Beobachtungsdaten zeigen hingegen starke Effekte sozialer Normen bezüglich des selbstberichteten und des tatsächlichen Kaufverhaltens der Befragten. Im Feldexperiment vermag es der moralische Appell jedoch nicht, die nicht bereits ökologisch überzeugten Konsumentinnen und Konsumenten zu aktivieren. Insgesamt belegen die Befunde die Wichtigkeit von monetären Anreizen bei der Förderung von ethischem Konsum insbesondere bei jenen Konsumenten, deren Kaufverhalten nicht bereits durch starke moralische Normen motiviert ist.It is a fundamental question of consumer research to what extent economic and moral incentives affect ethical consumption behavior. So far most studies have used self-reported behavior from survey data. Due to socially desirable response behavior, effects of moral norms might be overestimated and price effects underestimated. The paper presents a field experiment on the purchase of ecological products in which the effect of a price reduction and norm activation (moral appeal) is tested. This study is a replication of a field experiment on the purchase of organic eggs presented by Andreas Diekmann. The original study design is extended with a customer survey and documentation of observed purchase behavior of respondents. The field experiment shows a strong effect of the price reduction and no effect of the norm activation. In the survey, however, there are strong norm effects on both self-reported and observed purchase behavior of respondents. But the moral appeal in the field experiment does not activate those consumers who are not already concerned about the environment and animal welfare. Taken together, these findings show the importance of monetary incentives for the promotion of ethical consumption especially for those consumers whose purchasing behavior is not motivated by strong moral norms.La question de l’influence des incitations économiques et morales sur la consommation éthique est une question fondamentale de la sociologie empirique de la consommation. Les études réalisées jusqu’à présent reposent en grande partie sur les propres déclarations des personnes interrogées sur leur comportement. En raison de la tendance à donner des réponses socialement désirables, il est possible que de telles enquêtes surestiment l’influence des conceptions morales sur l’action et sous-estiment celle des incitations économiques. Cet article présente une expérience de terrain sur l’achat de produits écologiques comparant l’effet d’une baisse de prix et de l’activation d’une norme. Cette expérience reproduit l’expérience de terrain sur l’achat d’œufs bio réalisée pour la première fois par Andreas Diekmann. Elle a cependant été complétée par une enquête auprès des clients et une observation de leur comportement d’achat réel. Il ressort de cette expérience que la baisse de prix a une forte incidence, contrairement à l’activation de la norme qui est dénuée d’effet. Les données d’enquête et d’observation révèlent par contre une forte incidence des normes sociales sur le comportement d’achat déclaré et réel des enquêtés. Dans le cadre de cette expérience, l’appel à des normes morales n’est toutefois pas en mesure d’activer les consommatrices et les consommateurs dépourvus de convictions écologiques. Dans l’ensemble, les résultats attestent l’importance des incitations monétaires pour l’encouragement de la consommation éthique, notamment chez les consommateurs dont le comportement d’achat n’est pas déjà motivé par des fortes normes morales
Anti-Semitism Today Measuring Current Manifestations of Hostility towards Jews Using Factorial Surveys
No full textStandardized surveys are the most popular method in research on anti-Semitism. Use of this method, however, neither accounts for the normativity of the subject nor the impact of situational contexts on anti-Semitic communication. Factorial surveys (also "vignette analyses") overcome these limitations because they allow the systematic manipulation of situational attributes and, accordingly, an estimation of the influence of these attributes on individual evaluations. More particularly, they allow an assessment of communication latency, an influential concept in anti-Semitism research. Our study documents the empirical plausibility of this concept: both consensus-group communication and detour communication can be found in our sample. The degree of affirmation of anti-Semitic statements increases if a majority of co-present participants manifest anti-Semitism. The same effect can be observed if the term "Jews" is replaced by the term "Israelis" (anti-Zionism) and if reference to the Holocaust is made (Secondary Anti-Semitism). The impact of group consensus is stronger among respondents with generally left-wing political attitudes, and detour communication (the replacement of "Jews" with "Israelis") is more apparent among persons of low social status
Anti-Americanism and Anti-Semitism: On the Relationship between Two Resentments
No full textThe present paper investigates the relationship between anti-American and anti-Semitic resentments on a terminological, theoretical, and empirical level. We start by identifying a set of shared structural principles drawn from historical research: personification of modernity, Manichaeism, and the construction of identitary collectives. On this basis established theories of anti-Semitism are applied to anti-Americanism. Following the projection thesis of critical theory and basic assumptions of cognitive psychology, anti-Americanism (together with other resentments) can be seen as a psycho-functional substitute for anti-Semitic attitudes in the process of channeling social discontent ("projection shift"). The communication latency thesis, on the other hand, suggests that anti-Americanism can appear as a vehicle for the communication of anti-Semitic attitudes ("detour communication"). Empirical support for both theoretical relationships is provided by an exemplary study of cross-section data from interviews with 241 pupils from Chemnitz, Dresden, and Leipzig (Germany)
Anti-Americanism and Anti-Semitism: On the Relationship between Two Resentments
No full textThe present paper investigates the relationship between anti-American and anti-Semitic resentments on a terminological, theoretical, and empirical level. We start by identifying a set of shared structural principles drawn from historical research: personification of modernity, Manichaeism, and the construction of identitary collectives. On this basis established theories of anti-Semitism are applied to anti-Americanism. Following the projection thesis of critical theory and basic assumptions of cognitive psychology, anti-Americanism (together with other resentments) can be seen as a psycho-functional substitute for anti-Semitic attitudes in the process of channeling social discontent ("projection shift"). The communication latency thesis, on the other hand, suggests that anti-Americanism can appear as a vehicle for the communication of anti-Semitic attitudes ("detour communication"). Empirical support for both theoretical relationships is provided by an exemplary study of cross-section data from interviews with 241 pupils from Chemnitz, Dresden, and Leipzig (Germany)
"Recruiting" from the Organizational Perspective: A Complementary View on Social Networks in Labor Markets
No full textA vast body of literature shows that social networks/contacts can overcome information problems in labor markets and help jobseekers. However, only a few studies investigate the role of social networks (employee referrals) from the complementary perspective of organizations. In a first step, we give an overview of the current status of research and focus on studies that take into account recruitment activities of a single organization Such studies (based on a whole applicant pool) have the advantage that Information about organizational characteristics as well as about all successful and non-successful applicants are available on each stage in the recruitment process In a second step, we present an empirical study referring to the applicant pool (between February and April 2007, N=477) of a German company in the textile sector (with online distribution of products) Multivariate analyses show that, controlling for human capital, employee referrals pay off at the single stages in the recruitment process ('better match' with regard to the 'transmission of the application to a specialty department', the 'job-interview stage', and the 'job-offer stage'). Our study also points to specific potentials of single-organization studies such as determining the location of (unintended) discriminatio
Anti-Semitism Today Measuring Current Manifestations of Hostility towards Jews Using Factorial Surveys
No full textStandardized surveys are the most popular method in research on anti-Semitism. Use of this method, however, neither accounts for the normativity of the subject nor the impact of situational contexts on anti-Semitic communication. Factorial surveys (also "vignette analyses") overcome these limitations because they allow the systematic manipulation of situational attributes and, accordingly, an estimation of the influence of these attributes on individual evaluations. More particularly, they allow an assessment of communication latency, an influential concept in anti-Semitism research. Our study documents the empirical plausibility of this concept: both consensus-group communication and detour communication can be found in our sample. The degree of affirmation of anti-Semitic statements increases if a majority of co-present participants manifest anti-Semitism. The same effect can be observed if the term "Jews" is replaced by the term "Israelis" (anti-Zionism) and if reference to the Holocaust is made (Secondary Anti-Semitism). The impact of group consensus is stronger among respondents with generally left-wing political attitudes, and detour communication (the replacement of "Jews" with "Israelis") is more apparent among persons of low social status
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