Intergroup Relations, Processes of Discrimination by Race, Gender and Education, and Possibilities for Intervention

This book, Intergroup Relations, Processes of Discrimination by Race, Gender and Education and Possibilities of Intervention, reflects the institutional project of the Graduate Program in Social Psychology at UFPB. The program in social psychology seeks to observe classical phenomena (eg., aggression, prejudice, values, attributions, perceptions, etc.) in a contemporary guise with different methods. In particular, we hope that the studies presented here are robust to support interventions in current social issues, training professionals with critical thinking to improve the quality of life in society. The book reports, in 12 chapters, scientific productions co-authored by students (at the master's level) and professors in social psychology. The authors related current social issues and themes such as: values, social inequalities, human development, mental health and work to the field of social psychology (social cognitions, ideologies, prejudice, values ​​and social representations) in three lines of research approach, namely: Social Psychology of Values ​​and Social Inequalities, which contributed four chapters. In Chapter 1, the authors report a study that shows the importance of verifying human values ​​in relation to adversities, such as chronic kidney disease, a relevant social issue that affects relationships in the family. In Chapter 2, the authors address the issue of sexism in politics, investigating the position of candidates for elected positions in the National Congress and the ambivalent sexism present in the attribution of stereotypes made to these candidates based on political positions: conservative, central or progressive . In Chapter 3, the authors seek to understand the effects of interactions mediated by platforms and digital media in the General Aggression Model (GAM). Finally, in Chapter 4, the authors adopt the System Justification Theory (SJT) to show that, ideologically, individuals are motivated to justify the social system in which they live, particularly when they are placed in situations that threaten the status quo. In a country with deep social inequalities, this result is relevant to social critics. The Social Development Psychology research contributed three chapters. In Chapter 5, the authors studied the conceptions of early childhood education professionals about fetal Zika virus infection, which causes congenital ZIKV syndrome, and verified that they know little about the syndrome, stating that they do not feel prepared to facilitate the inclusion of children affected in school life. In Chapter 6, the authors analyze the communicative styles used by mothers in interactions with twins with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in free play situations. The results indicated the frequent use by mothers of directive types of instruction and attention through commands and requests to engage children in games. But the twins' communicative behaviors showed a higher proportion of inadequate nonverbal responses to maternal utterances. In Chapter 7, the authors verified, through the social-cognitive model of social paradigms, the normalization of interpersonal forgiveness as a socially desirable and useful virtue to resolve conflicts between friends, family and co-workers. Finally, the Social Psychology of Health and Work research contributed five chapters. In Chapter 8, the authors addressed the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in sleepless adults. Symptoms related to lack of sleep (or even insomnia itself) can increase the likelihood of mood disorders or lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression. The results corroborate the literature, indicating the high prevalence of anxiety and depression in insomniacs. In Chapter 9, the authors address the work and health of informal alternative transport drivers, who autonomously carry out passenger transport activities to peripheral and/or metropolitan regions in large urban centers. The analysis of the reports identified the perception of the activity as a survival option, representing something transitory for professionals due to the uncertainties for survival, which imposes on the professional the burden of the weather encountered in carrying out the activity through a false premise of freedom. In Chapter 10, the authors study the prejudice that some mental disorders suffer, some more than others, such as schizophrenia. The study of social representations allows us to understand more specifically the psychic and social dynamics that interfere with the inclusion of people with mental disorders in society. In the field of workers' mental health, in Chapter 11, the authors analyze the experiences of pleasure and suffering in young people entering the labor market and assess the presence of bullying and psychosocial risks in these cases. Finally, in Chapter 12, the authors investigate the activism of young people in the Black Women's Movement who recognize the movement as an organized field of struggle for the realization of their rights, and a space for solidarity between black women of different generations. In conclusion, we just need to thank the Center for Human Sciences, Letters and Arts – CCHLA/UFPB, in the person of the Director, Professor Dr. Rodrigo Freire de Carvalho e Silva, for funding this publication.