Ownership as interpersonal dominance

Rudmin, Floyd W.

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Book

Document type:: Book

Collection:: POP - Possession, Ownership, Property

Title:: Ownership as interpersonal dominance : a history and three studies of the social psychology of property

Year of publication:: 1988

Language:: English

Topic:: C - Psychology

Shelfmark:: C/R916 O9

Access:: Free access

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.48671/pop.AC14489044

¢ =7 The responses to the interview questions can be found in the study data base in Appendix E. A summary of the types of things that respondents mentioned as good exemplars for showing the meaning of own to a child appear in Table 14. The Cree produced a mean of 1.25 exemplars (S.D.=.95) and the English-Canadians a mean of 1.85 exemplars (S.D. 1.12), which were not statistically different (t=2.58, df =78, p >.05). Four Cree and one English-Canadian did not respond to this question. In Table 14, exemplars are grouped into post-hoc categories which allow some inferences about similarities and differences in Cree and English-Canadian concepts of owning. The two groups were fairly balanced in their inclusion of objects of personal value, such as special objects, clothes, and books. The English-Canadians more frequently listed toys, house and environs, vehicles, and property documented by deed or bili-of-sale. This might reflect a more commercial and legal quality to ownership for that group. It should be noted that Attawapiskat is a band community, which means that the homes are legally the property of the band. A Cree listing a home as an example of property would not be referring to documented, legal ownership, but rather to home as a territory, as suggested by comments such as “things inside and outside the house”. One English-Canadian similarly listed “home and everything in it". The Cree more frequently listed living things like pets, people and oneself as good exemplars of property; whereas, one English-Canadian specifically said, “not a person or animal”. Because the Cree socialize their children for independence and have little appreciation of one person dominating another, the use of a person as an example of something owned clearly indicates that own must have little meaning of dominance for the Cree. One Cree respondent commented that a pet teaches children to care for their possessions and to be responsible for them. Two Cree respondents said that a good property examplar for a child should be something that morally benefits the child. One Cree respondent that did not name any exemplars said that he would not answer a child's question about the meaning of own, that children should learn that for themselves. Another said that to a child’s query about the meaning of own she woul answer that many people use words without knowing what they mean. Finally, it should be noted that one Cree respondent and one English-Canadian said that a good exemplar of an owned object would be something the children would defend or fight over.

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