The ability to modulate behavior and physiology when encountering novel social contexts is essential for the survival and fitness of socially living species. During social interactions, individuals must assess their current social environment and integrate this information with their own internal state and past social experiences to facilitate appropriate social behavior. This process leads to adaptive modulation of behavior and physiology. The behavioral dynamicswithin social dominance hierarchies are an exemplar of how individuals adaptively modulate theirsocial behaviors and physiology. However, much remains unknown about the behavioral, physiological, and neurobiological underpinnings of plasticity among individuals living in social hierarchies within complex social environments. This dissertation is composed of several studies aimed at investigating the behavioral and physiological plasticity and associated neurobiological characteristics of group-living mice as they form stable and consistent social relationships with unfamiliar social partners to achieve a social hierarchy. In Chapter 2, I analyze how the patterns of both aggressive and non-aggressive social behaviors change as unfamiliar male mice establish social relationships in dyads, providing new statistical methods to define the resolution of a dominance relationship. In Chapter 3, I use an ethologically relevant experimental paradigm to investigate social hierarchies in large groups and explore how mice change their urination pattern (scent-marking) and metabolic investment in major urinary proteins as they acquire dominance status. In Chapter 4, I demonstrate the association between individual social ranks and foraging dynamics of mice living in social hierarchies. Collectively, the results of these studies suggest thatmaintaining high social status, particularly alpha status, can be energetically costly. Investment byalpha males in reproduction and territorial defense may come at the cost of resources available topromote long-term health, particularly responses to immune challenges. To explore thishypothesized trade-off, inChapter 5, I test the hypothesis that individuals of different socialstatus vary significantly in immune system functioning. I demonstrate that dominant males are primed to utilize adaptive immunity while subordinate males invest more in innate immunity. In Chapter 6, I explore the neurobiological characteristics of social dominance, with a particular focus on the association between the oxytocin and vasopressin neuropeptide systems and social status. I idenfity several brain regions, such as nucleus accumbens and lateral preoptic area, inwhich alpha, subdominant and subordinate mice show significant differences in the levels ofoxytocin receptors and vasopressin 1a receptors. To better understand how the brain responds to social cues, in Chapter 7, I identify brain regions in dominant and subordinate mice that respond to cues regarding social status and familiarity. I demonstrate that brain regions in the social decision-making network respond distinctively depending on the social cue types sensory information and the internal state. Finally, in Chapter 8, I explore brain transcriptomic profiles associated with behavioral differences among alpha, subdominant, and subordinate male mice. Overall, this dissertation contributes significantly to our understanding of how an individual’s social context leads to plastic and adaptive changes in the brain, behavior and physiology.

Rape play is a type of consensual, ritualistic domination and submission, developed and enacted in a sado-masochistic (S/M) sex culture, which involves the appearance of force. There are two feminist theories that can be employed in a feminist analysis of rape play: dominance/radical feminism and libertarian/"sex positive" feminism. Libertarian/"sex positive" feminism holds that S/M, including rape play, is potentially compatible with feminism because the power dynamic between a dominant/"rapist" and submissive/"victim" does not draw on either practitioners' actual social identity and the power it possesses or lacks. Dominance/radical feminism argues that gender, which is socially constructed, can best be understood as a form of sexualized domination and submission, so social identity could not be dissociated from power in S/M. My reading of guidebooks and narratives about rape play suggests that the dominance/radical feminist position is more accurate in the case of rape play, though not necessarily all of S/M culture. / by Megan Halena. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

In this dissertation, I theoretically and empirically examine the psychological experience of middle-power, which occurs when someone frequently alternates between adopting behavioral strategies targeting higher-power and lower-power interaction partners. In Chapter 1, I update and extend the approach/inhibition theory of power (Keltner, Gruenfeld, & Anderson, 2003) by developing a novel theoretical framework related to the psychological experience of middle-power. This new theoretical perspective draws from and integrates insights from role-based identity (Ashforth & Johnson, 2001; Stryker, 1980) and role transition theories (Ashforth, Kreiner, & Fugate, 2000). In Chapter 2, I conduct a systematic review of the social hierarchy literature over the past 10 years and demonstrate that scholars have considered the middle of the distribution with respect to stratifying variables in only 5.4% of past empirical investigations. This conscious absence of the middle forces us to reconsider existing findings in the social hierarchy literature. In Chapters 3 and 4, I examine the relationship between power and unethical behavior and present evidence of a curvilinear relationship: middle-power individuals consistently behave more ethically than both their higher and lower-power counterparts. Taken together, these insights highlight the importance of considering the antecedents and consequences of middle-power states.

This research explores clusters of meanings, understandings, and shared reference points that people with white skinned privilege may share. The literature often refers to these as "White culture". Interviews with nine English-speaking diversity educators of European ancestry provide the primary data. W e discussed their perceptions of the social constructions of whiteness and privilege, the consequences of selective privileging, how is this maintained and the problems involved in addressing systemic inequality. I bring the salient points from these discussions together with the literature to offer a comprehensive, grounded portrayal of situated conceptions of "White culture", privilege and dominant culture. I employed qualitative methods of open-ended, in-depth interviewing, which incorporate feminist research methodology (research a s praxis, research as empowerment) and critical perspectives (critical ethnography, grounded theory, interpretative analysis). This approach is consistent with my values of being inclusive, gaining insight into the perspectives of others and creating a mutually enriching, collaborative process of inquiry. The significance of this investigation lies in raising awareness about interactions among factors within whiteness, privilege, dominance and oppression; enhancing educators' abilities to recognise other contributing factors; identifying why/ how the system is maintained, recognising its consequences and considering how to alter this condition in society. Multicultural education in Canada has generally focused on Others, and can be enhanced through fostering a dialogue among the relatively privileged as well as between dominant and oppressed peoples living within a society of cultural/ racial privilege. The product of this research includes concrete representations summarising various aspects of privilege and dominant culture. Through charts, tables and figures I make privilege more visible and dominant culture more tangible. To portray the complex dynamic among aspects of the dominant culture, which shapes these into a multitude of different configurations, I employ the metaphor, constellations of privilege. Essentially, I offer a possible model for understanding the elements and interrelationships that comprise and maintain a system of selective privileging, which underlies dominance and oppression within society. I conclude this study with a discussion of transformative learning theory and how we may use it to incorporate the insights uncovered through this research into educational practice.

This study is a meta-analysis of publications of the relationship of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) to racial/ethnic prejudice. In addition to examining the relationship between RWA and prejudice, two control/comparison analyses were conducted. The first looks at the relationship between RWA and attitudes toward homosexuality over the same time period as the racial prejudice analysis. An additional set of control analyses involved social dominance orientation (SDO). The hypothesis was that the relationship between RWA and racial/ethnic prejudice has decreased over time but that the relationships between RWA and anti-gay prejudice and the relationship between SDO and racial/ethnic prejudice and SDO and anti-gay prejudice will be relatively stable over time. The results showed as time passed there was a negative relationship between RWA and racial/ethnic prejudice, a positive relationship with RWA and anti-gay prejudice, a non significant correlation with SDO and racial/ethnic prejudice, and a negative relationship between SDO and anti-gay prejudice. / Department of Psychological Science

This thesis is a study of the experiences of young people living together in groups. It uses two children's homes in the north east of Scotland as its research sites. The ways in which data were collected were devised in consultation with the young people involved and required the researcher to 'live-in' th units for a year long period. This thesis concentrates on the ways in which the young people structured their resident groups and gained status and position within them. It argues that fixed roles or positions were not in play; rather there was constant change and fluidity. Young people, it is argued, gained position through a complex set of negotiations which required them to consider their skills and abilities as well as the social context in which they were operating. This inter-relationship supports some of the ideas put forward by Pierre Bourdieu and the conceptual analysis developed during the course of this thesis draws upon his work. The thesis as a whole contributes to the debates both within the study and practice of residential child care and broader sociological debates around children and young people. It illustrates the wide range of skills and knowledge used by the young people thus challenging bully/victim stereotypes and beliefs about the solely 'negative' influence of peers. Furthermore this thesis demonstrates the ways in which young people use their social agency to negotiate around 'adult' influences and controls.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2007 / Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Social Work. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-69).

Honors Project--Smith College, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-32).

Thesis (doctoral)--Stockholms Universitet, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 293-[313]) and index.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-110).