Influence of Marital Status and Income on Social Dominance Orientation: A Study Among Naga Men

Abstract

Social Dominance Theory (SDT) argues that there are individual differences on Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and that these differences influence an individual’s behaviour in intergroup relations. In Nagaland patriarchy is strongly rooted in the Naga traditions and men enjoy more privileges over women in many aspects of the society. The present study is the first in Nagaland to explore SDO among Naga men with an aim to better understand intergroup relations in the context of gender. The sample for the study consisted of 240 men within the ages of 18 to 65 years. The results of the study found a majority of the Naga men scoring high on SDO. Welch’s t-test showed a significant difference in SDO between the married and the unmarried men (t = 4.88; p < .001). Kruskal-Wallis H test showed no significant difference on SDO among the lower income, middle income and upper income families.