Perceived Legitimacy of the Social System, Belief in a just World and Social Dominance Orientation of Volunteers in Non-Governmental Organizations

Year 2013, Volume: 24 Issue: 1, 115 - 128, 15.04.2013

Necip Yıldırım Serap Akgün

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the way that
volunteers in non-governmental organizations perceive the system and the world
as fair and whether they bolster intergroup hierarchies. Therefore a number of
social psychological variables related to volunteering efforts were examined.
In order to reach the goal of the study, data was collected from two separate
groups. First group included members worked actively in non-governmental
organizations as volunteers. Second group consisted of people who have never
been a member of such organizations and never worked as volunteers before and
during this study. A total of 271 individuals (137 members and 134 non-members)
participated in the study. Participants received a set of questionnaires
involving General Belief in A Just World Scale, Personal Belief in A Just World
Scale, Social Dominance Orientation Scale, and General System Justification
Scale. After they filled out these questionnaires, they were also asked to
state their socio-demographic characteristics in a form. Results revealed that
the members of non-governmental organizations, compared to non-members,
perceived the system as less legitimate, and have lower levels of belief in a
just world and social dominance orientation. It seems that to endorse equality
rather than support intergroup hierarchies, to believe that the prevailing
social system is not legitimate and the world is not a just place associate
with helping the members of disadvantaged groups voluntarily. 

Keywords

System Justification, Belief in a Just World

SİVİL TOPLUM KURULUŞU GÖNÜLLÜLERİNİN SOSYAL SİSTEMİN MEŞRUİYETİNE İLİŞKİN ALGILARI, ADİL DÜNYA İNANÇLARI VE SOSYAL BASKINLIK YÖNELİMLERİ

Abstract

Bu çalışma toplumdaki dezavantajlı gruplara destek sağlamak
için sivil toplum kuruluşlarında gönüllü olarak çalışan kişilerin dünyayı ne
kadar adil algıladıkları, gruplar arası hiyerarşileri destekleyip
desteklemedikleri ve içinde yaşadığımız sosyal sistemi ne derece meşru
algıladıkları sorularına yanıt aramak amacı ile yapılmıştır. Böylece gönüllülük
çabaları altında yatan bazı sosyal psikolojik değişkenler incelenmeye
çalışılmıştır. Araştırmaya 137 sivil toplum kuruluşu gönüllüsü ve 134 herhangi
bir sivil toplum kuruluşuna üye olmayan toplam 271 kişi katılmıştır.
Katılımcılara Adil Dünya İnancı Ölçeği, Sistemi Meşrulaştırma Ölçeği ve Sosyal
Baskınlık Yönelimi Ölçeği uygulanmıştır. Bulgular sivil toplum kuruluşu
gönüllülerinin gönüllü olmayanlara oranla sistemi daha az meşru
algıladıklarını, genel adil dünya inançlarının ve sosyal baskınlık
yönelimlerinin ise daha düşük olduğunu göstermiştir. Sistemin meşru olmadığını
düşünme, gruplar arası hiyerarşileri değil eşitliği destekleme ve dünyanın adil
bir yer olmadığı inancı dezavantajlı insanlara gönüllü olarak yardım etme
davranışı ile ilişkili görünmektedir. 

Keywords

Sistemi Meşrulaştırma, Adil Dünya İnancı

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