Abstract
Background
Different theoretical frameworks portray the changes in societies’ development as a systematic pathway from strict hierarchy to a more democratic, egalitarian society, whether through the process of rationalization (Kalberg, 1980) or “human development syndrome” (Inglehart, Welzel, 2009). These paradigms are driven by Western thought and have limited application for non-Western societies (Eisenstadt, 2000).
Aims
The study was conducted to find out how the differences in desired shapes of societies could be explained by individual and cultural variance of people perceiving, comprehending, and interpreting those in power, referred to as power construals (Sassenberg, Ellemers, Scheepers, 2012). Power has different cultural effects, e.g., in East Asia, it is often socialized as beneficial to others, and in Western culture as beneficial to the person holding power (Torelli, Shavitt, 2010). We postulate that people construing power as opportunity desire social modernization and egalitarian development, but people construing power as responsibility endorse the traditional shape of society. On a larger scale, this relationship could predict democratic or authoritarian societal shifts.
Method
The online correlational study was conducted in theUS, Poland, and Hong Kong. We employed ANOVA, multiple regression, and mediation analyses.
Results
Results show that the desired developmental aims correspond to the way people construe power, with responsible power construal predicting conventional, traditional developmental aims in Poland and US, but not Hong Kong, and self-serving power construal predicting socially modernized, progressive change.
Conclusions
We suggest that people’s perception of those holding power may have a significant role in shaping their desired societal future.
Different theoretical frameworks portray the changes in societies’ development as a systematic pathway from strict hierarchy to a more democratic, egalitarian society, whether through the process of rationalization (Kalberg, 1980) or “human development syndrome” (Inglehart, Welzel, 2009). These paradigms are driven by Western thought and have limited application for non-Western societies (Eisenstadt, 2000).
Aims
The study was conducted to find out how the differences in desired shapes of societies could be explained by individual and cultural variance of people perceiving, comprehending, and interpreting those in power, referred to as power construals (Sassenberg, Ellemers, Scheepers, 2012). Power has different cultural effects, e.g., in East Asia, it is often socialized as beneficial to others, and in Western culture as beneficial to the person holding power (Torelli, Shavitt, 2010). We postulate that people construing power as opportunity desire social modernization and egalitarian development, but people construing power as responsibility endorse the traditional shape of society. On a larger scale, this relationship could predict democratic or authoritarian societal shifts.
Method
The online correlational study was conducted in theUS, Poland, and Hong Kong. We employed ANOVA, multiple regression, and mediation analyses.
Results
Results show that the desired developmental aims correspond to the way people construe power, with responsible power construal predicting conventional, traditional developmental aims in Poland and US, but not Hong Kong, and self-serving power construal predicting socially modernized, progressive change.
Conclusions
We suggest that people’s perception of those holding power may have a significant role in shaping their desired societal future.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 30 Jun 2022 |
| Event | 10th European Conference on Positive Psychology - Harpa, Reykjavik, Iceland Duration: 29 Jun 2022 → 30 Jun 2022 https://ecpp2020.com/ecpp/ |
Conference
| Conference | 10th European Conference on Positive Psychology |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | ECPP 2022 |
| Country/Territory | Iceland |
| City | Reykjavik |
| Period | 29/06/22 → 30/06/22 |
| Internet address |