Sramana Majumdar

Bio: Sramana Majumdar is an academic researcher from Ashoka University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Medicine & Salience (neuroscience). The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 5 publications receiving 20 citations. Previous affiliations of Sramana Majumdar include Global University (GU) & Ambedkar University Delhi.

Contact, Political Solidarity and Collective Action: An Indian Case Study of Relations between Historically Disadvantaged Communities

Abstract: Research on the contact hypothesis has highlighted the role of contact in improving intergroup relations. Most of this research has addressed the problem of transforming the prejudices of historically advantaged communities, thereby eroding wider patterns of discrimination and inequality. In the present research, drawing on evidence from a cross-sectional survey conducted in New Delhi, we explored an alternative process through which contact may promote social change, namely by fostering political solidarity and empowerment amongst the disadvantaged. The results indicated that Muslim students' experiences of contact with other disadvantaged communities were associated with their willingness to participate in joint collective action to reduce shared inequalities. This relationship was mediated by perceptions of collective efficacy and shared historical grievances and moderated by positive experiences of contact with the Hindu majority. Implications for recent debates about the relationship between contact and social change are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Qualitative Exploration of Salient Incidents of Violence Exposure Among Youth in Kashmir: Beyond Direct Violence

Abstract: Kashmir has a long history of conflict and violence where the youth have been on the forefront of political and social transformations. Research on mapping political identity, ideology, attitudes, and opinions of young Kashmiris over the years has remained within a quantitative-based framework that leaves out individual- and identity-based differences that may exist. The present paper explores youth’s experiences of violence and perceptions about perpetrator and victim, to better understand how and what the youth of Kashmir view as violent over and above the typical categories of direct and collective violence. Qualitative responses to questions on an exposure to violence questionnaire were content analysed and categorised into themes. Results showed that apart from common experiences of physical abuse that were reported as significant traumatic incidents, participants reported psychological experiences like loss of freedom and limitations on movement. An important finding was the gender differences in experiences of violence and perceptions of perpetrator and victim. The findings add to a growing body of literature showing that the constituents of violence and its experience, and perceptions about others and self in a context of conflict, are based on personal and group affiliations and intertwined with political and cultural narratives.

Worry, Perceived Discrimination, Lifestyle Changes, and Protective Factors During COVID-19: A Study With Recovering Patients in Delhi, India

Abstract: COVID-19 has affected people all over the world. For those who were infected by the virus, the repercussions go beyond immediate medical conditions to include social stigma, fear, uncertainty, and lifestyle changes. This study presents data collected as part of a mental health intervention (COVID Response) with individuals who had been diagnosed with coronavirus and had completed the minimum 14 days isolation period, in the city of Delhi, India. Through a survey conducted telephonically, participants self reported on six major mental health indicators: levels of worry, mood, lifestyle changes made through the phase of diagnosis and recovery, perceived discrimination faced due to the diagnosis, and the willingness to donate blood plasma. Descriptive findings show lower levels of worry than at the time of testing and diagnosis, positive mood states, and availability of social support. One Way Anova results further indicate that worry differed significantly across groups with differences in lifestyle changes, reported mood, availability of medical care, and the willingness to donate plasma. These findings contribute toward an informed understanding about recovery from coronavirus and sustainable coping with the pandemic, which can aid related health initiatives and evolving policy.

Field Research on Collective Victimization in the Indian Subcontinent: Challenges and Strategies for Navigation

Abstract: Although fieldwork is not uncommon in social psychological research on the consequences of collective victimization for intergroup peace and violence, the bulk of this work has focused on the global North. Further, there is a scarcity of accounts by social psychologists regarding how they navigated the challenges of conducting fieldwork in developing nations, which are often marked by long-standing inequality and conflicts. Consequently, researchers working in the global South often draw on concepts that may not be relevant in these contexts. Additionally, they are left underprepared to tackle the difficulties that can arise during their fieldwork in these settings. Building on our field experiences in the Indian subcontinent, in this chapter, we share various challenges that are relevant for different stages of research: (1) the preparation stage, (2) the conceptualization and design stage, (3) the data collection stage, (4) the analysis stage, and (5) the writing and dissemination stage. Furthermore, we suggest some strategies to navigate these challenges sensitively. We hope this chapter can inform and aid the work of field researchers working on similar issues in developing contexts.

It’s not just ‘us’ versus ‘them’: Moving beyond binary perspectives on intergroup processes

Abstract: Most of what we know about the social psychology of intergroup relations has emerged from studies of how one group of people (e.g., whites) think and feel about another (e.g., blacks). By reducing the social world to binary categories, this approach has provided a simple, effective and efficient methodological framework. However, it has also obscured some important features of social relations in historically divided and unequal societies. This paper highlights the importance of investigating intergroup relationships involving more than two groups and of exploring not only their psychological but also their political significance. We argue that this shift in focus may illuminate patterns of domination and subordination, collusion and betrayal, solidarity and resistance that have been generally neglected in our field. Developing this argument, we discuss the conditions under which members of historically disadvantaged groups either dissolve into internecine competition or unite to challenge the status quo, highlighting the role of complex forms of social comparison, social identification, intergroup contact, and third-party support for collective action. To conclude, we suggest that binary conceptualizations of intergroup relations should be treated as the product of specific sets of historical and socio-political practices rather than a natural starting point for psychological research and outline some future directions for research.

Intergroup contact and the mediating role of intergroup trust on outgroup evaluation and future contact intentions in Cyprus and Northern Ireland.

Abstract: It is well supported that intergroup contact reduces prejudice and that positive contact can increase trust and improve attitudes between groups in conflict. In segregated societies, however, contact is often difficult or undesirable when political parties or institutions obstruct interactions contact. Therefore, when contact does occur it is vital that it is of positive quality that could potentially lead to increased intentions for further contact, as a way of facilitating sustained contact, desegregation and promoting peace. With this in mind, the present article examines intergroup contact, intergroup trust, and future contact intentions in 2 conflict settings; Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Participants took part in an online survey that asked them to report on their contact experiences, intergroup trust, outgroup evaluation, and future contact intentions. Separate models are tested for Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland (n = 268) and for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus (n = 408). As expected, participants from Northern Ireland experienced more and better quality contact compared with participants from Cyprus. For Protestants, Catholics, and Greek Cypriots, results show that quality of contact, above quantity of contact, predicts future contact intentions, and improved attitudes through the mediation of intergroup trust. For Turkish Cypriots, contact quality additionally directly predicted outgroup evaluation without necessarily increasing trust. We argue that positive contact is an important route for promoting desegregation in societies with high residential segregation but that it is vital to understand contextual and group status when understanding these relationships.

Collective Effervescence, Self-Transcendence, and Gender Differences in Social Well-Being During 8 March Demonstrations

Abstract: 8 March (8M), now known as International Women's Day, is a day for feminist claims where demonstrations are organized in over 150 countries, with the participation of millions of women all around the world. These demonstrations can be viewed as collective rituals and thus focus attention on the processes that facilitate different psychosocial effects. This work aims to explore the mechanisms (i.e., behavioral and attentional synchrony, perceived emotional synchrony, and positive and transcendent emotions) involved in participation in the demonstrations of 8 March 2020, collective and ritualized feminist actions, and their correlates associated with personal well-being (i.e., affective well-being and beliefs of personal growth) and collective well-being (i.e., social integration variables: situated identity, solidarity and fusion), collective efficacy and collective growth, and behavioral intention to support the fight for women's rights. To this end, a cross-cultural study was conducted with the participation of 2,854 people (age 18-79; M = 30.55; SD = 11.66) from countries in Latin America (Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador) and Europe (Spain and Portugal), with a retrospective correlational cross-sectional design and a convenience sample. Participants were divided between demonstration participants (n = 1,271; 94.0% female) and non-demonstrators or followers who monitored participants through the media and social networks (n = 1,583; 75.87% female). Compared with non-demonstrators and with males, female and non-binary gender respondents had greater scores in mechanisms and criterion variables. Further random-effects model meta-analyses revealed that the perceived emotional synchrony was consistently associated with more proximal mechanisms, as well as with criterion variables. Finally, sequential moderation analyses showed that proposed mechanisms successfully mediated the effects of participation on every criterion variable. These results indicate that participation in 8M marches and demonstrations can be analyzed through the literature on collective rituals. As such, collective participation implies positive outcomes both individually and collectively, which are further reinforced through key psychological mechanisms, in line with a Durkheimian approach to collective rituals.

Social psychological research on prejudice as collective action supporting emergent ingroup members

Abstract: Why does social psychological research on prejudice change across time? We argue that scientific change is not simply a result of empirical evidence, technological developments, or social controversies, but rather emerges out of social change-driven shifts in how researchers categorize themselves and others within their larger societies. As mainstream researchers increasingly recategorize former outgroup members as part of a novel ingroup, prejudice research shifts in support of emergent ingroup members against their emergent outgroup opponents. Although social change-driven science results in valuable opportunities for researchers, it also results in significant risks for research - collective, scientific biases in the inclusion and exclusion of social groups in prejudice research that are not readily detected or managed by traditional controls. We present the Emergent Ingroup Model (EIM) to encourage reflection on shared biases, as well as to spark a broader conversation on how to strengthen our field for a rapidly changing and increasingly global world.