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New research reveals compelling evidence that reading The Hunger Games books can encourage collective action on behalf of marginalized communities. This breakthrough study, published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, highlights how literature can trigger tangible societal change.
“Our team is focused on prejudice reduction. Previously, we demonstrated that reading fantasy books (like Harry Potter) has the potential to reduce prejudice,” explained Loris Vezzali, a professor at The University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
“However, recent studies have shown that merely reducing prejudice may not be enough to bring about social change. That’s why we concentrated on books that, in our opinion, could help inspire action towards creating a more equitable society,” Vezzali shared.
Vezzali believes that The Hunger Games saga, with its wide-reaching appeal and popularity, has significant educational potential. “Given how widely loved ‘The Hunger Games’ saga is, we feel it has the capacity to serve important educational roles and, more broadly, contribute meaningfully to society,” he added.
In this study, 162 White adults from the United States and the United Kingdom participated in an online survey. They reported the number of Hunger Games books they had read and films they had watched. Participants then assessed their social dominance orientation, a measure of their support for social hierarchy and inequality. They also shared their emotional reactions to social inequality and their willingness to engage in collective action for disadvantaged groups.
After adjusting for the number of The Hunger Games movies watched, Vezzali and his team discovered that participants who read more of the books reported higher levels of anger towards social inequalities. This anger was linked to a greater willingness to take action, but only among those with a lower social dominance orientation.
Nevertheless, the researchers cautioned against making definitive causal conclusions due to the study’s correlational nature. It’s possible that reading The Hunger Games books stimulates anger about inequality, but it could also be that those already upset by inequalities are simply more drawn to books like The Hunger Games.
To explore this further, the researchers conducted a second experiment with 89 Italian high school students. The students were randomly divided into two groups. One group read The Hunger Games books as part of their school curriculum, engaging in discussions on key passages. The other group, serving as the control, did not read the books and did not participate in discussions.
In this experiment, Vezzali and his team found that students who read The Hunger Games were more likely to express anger about social inequality and show a greater willingness to take action. This was especially true for those with a stronger social dominance orientation.
The findings of both studies underline how literature can influence social awareness and spur action. “Books give people the chance to reflect on their surroundings, offering new lenses through which to interpret social realities,” Vezzali clarified. “Even tales that are mostly considered entertainment can provide valuable lessons, present fresh perspectives on societal issues, and ultimately impact behavior.”
As Vezzali emphasizes, our societies are deeply unequal, and it’s critical to become more aware of these disparities. “People often want to fight social inequalities, but first, they need to recognize them.”
The studies also raise an intriguing question: why did the results differ for those with low social dominance orientation in the first study and high social dominance orientation in the second? The researchers believe the differences in the interventions across both studies may explain these contrasting outcomes.
“In the first study, readers were not guided in their reading, and specifically, they weren’t directed to focus on how the unjust hierarchical social structures in the books mirrored (though less dramatically) modern-day society,” the researchers explained.
On the other hand, the second study involved a more structured approach. “Participants were invited to reflect and discuss how the narrative related to real-world intergroup relations, such as the relationship between Italians and immigrants in Italy… individuals with high-SDO (and also low-SDO) were encouraged to focus on specific aspects of the story relevant to the investigation and its potential connection to reality.”
Vezzali emphasizes the need for interventions specifically designed to encourage collective action. “Very few studies have been conducted with the specific goal of promoting collective action,” he said. “However, these are exactly the kinds of interventions we need if we aim to foster social equality. Understanding not only why and when individuals engage in collective action, but also actively supporting their social involvement, is a challenge that psychologists should rise to.”
These findings highlight the powerful role literature, particularly works like The Hunger Games, can play in shaping how people perceive and respond to social inequality. It opens the door to the potential of storytelling as a tool for inspiring social change, a resource psychologists and educators might want to explore further.
The study, “May the odds be ever in your favor: The Hunger Games and the fight for a more equal society. (Negative) Media vicarious contact and collective action“, was authored by Loris Vezzali, Shelley McKeown, Patrick McCauley, Sofia Stathi, Gian Antonio Di Bernardo, Alessia Cadamuro, Valeria Cozzolino, and Elena Trifiletti.
