Original scientific paper
Dimensions of Aggressiveness as a Psychological Background of Political Orientations and Ethnocentrism: a Comparison of Different Sociodemographic Groups in Vojvodina
Zlatko Šram
; Croatian Academic Society, Subotica, Yugoslavia
Abstract
The author begins with the supposition (1) that specific dimensions of aggressiveness provide a background for various political orientations and ethnocentrism, and (2) that different traits among respondents influence notably the latent configuration of dimensions pertaining to political orientations, ethnocentrism and aggressive behaviour. A sample of 628 adults was derived in a logical manner from the electoral lists of the commune of Subotica. Factor analysis revealed latent variables pertaining to political orientations, ethnocentrism and aggressiveness. Canonical correlation analysis was carried out in order to determine, on the one hand, the relations between the group of variables constituting the area of political orientations and ethnocentrism and, on the other hand, the group of variables constituting the area of aggressiveness. The model of canonical correlation analysis produced two statistically significant canonical correlations. The canonical correlation between the two groups reached 0.49, meaning that − based on knowledge of the different dimensions of aggressiveness − it is possible to explain 24% of the variants in regard to the joint appearance of certain dimensions of political orientations and ethnocentrism. The author postulates the existence of an ideological model that he calls "national exclusiveness and an anti-Western militarist-statist orientation", the background of which includes sociopathological aggressiveness. He also postulates the existence of another ideological model, which he calls "anti-Western militarist-statist", which is not based on sociopathological aggressiveness, but is primarily determined by asocial behaviour in childhood. The author likewise highlights the existence of a relationship between affective national attachment and the need for national homogenising through a certain type of aggressiveness with neurotic characteristics (impulsiveness, egocentrism, absence of empathy). The results of discriminational canonical analysis show that the gender and age of respondents are not variables that influence the latent configuration of dimensions of political orientation, ethnocentrism and aggressiveness. The ideological model, labelled in the text "anti-Western socialist orientation and nostalgia for Yugoslavia", the background of which includes deficient socialisation of the individual, marked by asocial behaviour in childhood, was most present among respondents with a lower level of schooling. The ideological matrix entitled "antiWestern militarist-statist orientation" was most frequently present among Serbs, Yugoslavs and those members of the Croat ethnic body that declared themselves to be exclusively "Bunjevci". The psychological background of the "anti-Western militarist-statist orientation" does not show sub-levels of aggressiveness, so we could conclude that a thus structured ideological cognitive component prevails in it. The "nationalist syndrome", the background of which includes a sociopathological stucture of personality, is more present among Serbs and Hungarians, than among Croats, Yugoslavs and Bunjevci. The initial hypotheses of the study are, therefore, entirely confirmed.
Keywords
ethnocentrism; ideology; national socialism; aggressiveness; social pathology
Hrčak ID:
125153
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2001.
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