Dominant Groups Support Victims' Spiritual Claims to Counter Accusations of Discrimination

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104233

Commentary

When dominant groups are accused of discrimination against non-dominant groups, they try to portray themselves as victims of discrimination. Sometimes, however, members of the dominant group resist accusations of discrimination by changing the topic being discussed, calling the victim about a new dimension of harm.

In three studies (N = 3081), two examples of this deviant victimization were analyzed.

One example was a Christian American who responded to accusations of homophobia by threatening and asserting religious freedom. White Americans responding to accusations of racism by claiming freedom of speech under threat.

These analyses show that members of the dominant group strongly favored deviant victimization claims over traditional competitive victimization claims.

Furthermore, the fact that these claims benefit a wider range of people and may appeal to more abstract principles indicates that this preference is driven by the perception that deviant victim claims are more effective in silencing further criticism from non-people.