Gender, Ethnic Status, and Ideological Asymmetry

In two studies, the authors examined the relationship between desire for group-based dominance (i.e., SDO), gender, and group attachment. As expected, the relationship between social dominance orientation and gender was invariant across ethnic groups. Across ethnic groups, males were found to have higher levels of social dominance orientation than were females. Furthermore, for members of high-status groups, there were positive relationships between desire for group-based dominance and group affiliation, whereas for members of low-status groups, these relationships were significantly less positive and even negative. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.