The interface between ethnic and social system attachment: The differential effects of hierarchy-enhancing and hierarchy-attenuating environments

Social dominance theory distinguishes between hierarchy-enhancing environme nts, which promote inequality between groups (e.g., American society), and hierarchy-attenuating environments, which promote equality between groups ( e.g., universities). Consistent with predictions derived from this distinct ion, a panel study that assessed attitudes prior to university exposure and after one year of university exposure yielded three findings: (I) exposure to the university decreased antiegalitarian attitudes; (2) at the end of t heir first year of college, European Americans exhibited greater national a ttachment than Asian Americans, Latinos, and African Americans, but members of all groups exhibited similar levels of university attachment; and(3) Eu ropean Americans exhibited a more positive association between ethnic attac hment and national attachment than members of the other three groups, but m embers of all groups exhibited similar relationships between ethnic attachm ent and university attachment.