Cultural superiority paired with felt weakness predisposes groups to violence against others.

Evidence

A belief in cultural superiority (that goes beyond the usual ethnocentrism), as well as a shaky group self-concept that requires self-defense, can also con­ tribute to the tendency to turn against others. Frequently the two combine, a belief in the superiority of one’s group with an underlying sense of vulner­ ability and weakness. Thus the cultural self-concept that predisposes to group violence can be complex but demonstrable through the products of the cul­ ture, its literature, its intellectual and artistic products, its media. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 96

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to ‘powerful-minority’ scapegoating literatures — the superiority-plus-vulnerability pairing mirrors the high-status-threatened-group dynamic Glick analyses elsewhere. — connects to: Cultural violence arises from superiority beliefs fused with underlying group vulnerability — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 96; Violence against racial others functions to convince perpetrators of their own superiority — Sherene Razack, Casting Out: The Eviction of Muslims…, 144; Grandiosity combined with fragile self-esteem drives defensive violence when threatened — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core: On the Role of…, 266 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Cultural violence arises from superiority beliefs fused with underlying group vulnerability #expands (0.95) — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 96
• Grandiosity combined with fragile self-esteem drives defensive violence when threatened #exemplifies (0.85) — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 266
• Violence against racial others functions to convince perpetrators of their own superiority #corroborates (0.80) — Sherene Razack, Casting Out, 144
• Framing violence as cultural property forecloses understanding of how group peril shapes it. #responds-to (0.80) — Sherene Razack, Casting Out, 302
• Religious altruism turns violent only under perceived group threat in asymmetric conflict #qualifies (0.78) — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 540