Philippe Castel

For a socio-psychological approach of the concept of racial stacking

Abstract Research studies focusing on the relationships between team sports and socio- ethnicity have developed in the Anglo-Saxon literature since the 1970s. In particular the use of the concept of racial stacking confirms a growing interest in a more complex vision when it comes to player selection and positioning. In basketball, studies have identified that black players are overrepresented in the American professional basketball championships (NBA) and at the same time patterns of racial stacking exist as they are overrepresented at non-central positions. This research led to a survey of black players’ positions in the professional championships in France (Pro A basketball). Using social stacking procedures, we listed the number of black and white players in each position. The results show evidence of a racial stacking pattern, only the position of point guard tends to be played by white rather than black players; this phenomenon is reduced when black players come from the USA.

‘White men can’t jump in a black basketball game?’ An exploratory investigation of implicit strategies of outgroup discrimination

Abstract Examining the ‘natural’ athlete myth and utilizing the recent literature on cultural/social factors in athleticism and basketball, this study through survey research examines the influence of stereotypes on the impression formation of basketball players. The primary research question is to determine from a group of students the attitudes of basketball players in terms of how they evaluate white and black players in basketball. The purpose is to identify participants’ perceptions and their appreciation as to whether or not black are superior to white basketball players. The theoretical framework employed is articulated around the theory of social categorization and racial stereotypes already observed in sports. In an initial qualitative phase, the results show that stereotypical representations exert an influence on the skills associated with basketball players depending on the colour of their skin, which is reflected in the use of adjectives specific to each of the categories of black and white. In a second quantitative phase, whereas a more favourable view of black basketball players might have been attributable to positive discrimination as per the anti-racist norm, the results show the activation of a bias towards favouring one’s own group. Once all of the initial adjectives have been expressed, the targets behave in the expected way in terms of the laws of social categorization i.e. they have a more positive view of the members of their own group (the Whites) than of the other group (the Blacks) as adjectives are cited for describing skills.

The relationship between junior and senior nurses. Analysis of a case of intergenerational discrimination using the RepMut tool

This research aims to show that the implementation of intergenerational salience at a social level can affect the work context, particularly in hospitals. Participants were 50 voluntary nurses (25 juniors, 25 seniors) working in French hospitals. RepMut Methodology, based on the theories of social categorization and self-categorization, highlights the mutual representations of group relations and allows measurement of the biases of perception and evaluation. The results support the idea that junior/senior self-categorization plays an important role in structuring work relations. Both groups express in-group homogeneity, but also contrast and values consistent with their social group membership. We discuss the benefit of differentiating the levels of analysis in order to acquire an understanding of diversity and its associated effects.