Final answer:
The social dominance orientation is the desire for one's in-group to be superior over others, influenced by tendencies such as loyalty, homophily, and ethnocentrism, and exemplified in societal structures and personal relationships.
Step-by-step explanation:
The desire to have one's group in a position of superiority over others defines the social dominance orientation.
Social dominance orientation reflects a preference for hierarchy in social structures and the dominance of one's in-group over other groups. This orientation is characterized by attitudes that support intergroup inequalities and seek to maintain or improve status within the in-group. Societal structures often segregate into various groups that are ranked according to wealth, power, or prestige. People who are part of a dominant group, one that has more power than subordinate groups, may exhibit this social dominance orientation more strongly.
Traits such as loyalty, homophily, and ethnocentrism play significant roles in reinforcing this orientation. Homophily, for instance, is the tendency for people to form relationships with others who are similar. Ethnocentrism extends this concept to the belief that one's own culture is superior. Both tendencies contribute to the formation and maintenance of in-groups and out-groups, enhancing cohesion within groups while fostering competition or even hostility towards out-groups. William Graham Sumner's concepts of in-group and out-group explain the phenomenon of seeking inclusion within certain groups while excluding others, often leading to a reinforcing cycle of group superiority tendencies.