The relationship between junior and senior nurses. Analysis of a case of intergenerational discrimination using the repmut tool

Abstract

This research aims to show that the implementation of intergenerational salience at a social level can affect the work context, particularly in hospitals. Participants were 50 voluntary nurses (25 juniors, 25 seniors) working in French hospitals. RepMut Methodology, based on the theories of social categorization and self-categorization, highlights the mutual representations of group relations and allows measurement of the biases of perception and evaluation. The results support the idea that junior/ senior self-categorization plays an important role in structuring work relations. Both groups express in-group homogeneity, but also contrast and values consistent with their social group membership. We discuss the benefit of differentiating the levels of analysis in order to acquire an understanding of diversity and its associated effects.