Seeking conversion versus advocating tolerance in the pursuit of social change.

In 2 studies, the authors examined reactions to social change effected by minorities' successful increase of tolerance for diversity within a group or conversion of a group to the minority position. Minorities who increased tolerance for diversity, compared with those who converted a group to their own position, identified more strongly with the group (Study 1). Study 2 replicated these findings. Additionally, it showed that majorities disidentified less from the group when majorities lost their dominant position due to the group's increased tolerance for diversity than when majorities lost their dominant position due to the group's conversion to the minority position. Thus, minority-effected social change left a group stronger when that change increased the group's tolerance than when the group experienced conversion. Expectations that differences within a group would be regulated through social conflict (vs. conciliation) mediated the effect of the mode of change on group identification. Motives for minorities' pursuit of social change through tolerance of diversity versus group conversion are discussed.