Psychological equity restoration can shift blame onto disadvantaged groups and motivate counter-restoration

Evidence

Moreover, psychological restoration may result in perceived equity and maintenance of the status quo or even tip the balance to result in perceiving ingroup disadvantage. This could occur if psychological restoration included denying the value of Black inputs, blaming Blacks for their disadvantage, or believing that Whites were underbenefited in relation to Blacks. Such shifts might lead to feelings of anger at the outgroup or moral outrage in the form of resentment for being blamed for the other group’s disadvantages. Adopting this perspective could motivate action to restore “actual” equity by attempting to increase White privilege or power (e.g., White power movements like the KKK or White Aryan Resistance). — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 469

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Blaming structural inequality for outcomes protects self-esteem in disadvantaged groups — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1070; Equity theory organizes how perceived inequity becomes collective guilt and reparative action. — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 427; Disparaging a lower-status group psychologically uplifts the higher-status group — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core: On the Role of…, 236 (+15 more)

Broader Connections

• Whites feeling collective guilt may attempt actual compensation or partial reparation to restore equity #expands (0.84) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 470
• Disparaging a lower-status group psychologically uplifts the higher-status group #corroborates (0.82) — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 236
• Acknowledging group privilege triggers guilt that motivates reparative policy support #complicates (0.80) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 426
• Equity theory organizes how perceived inequity becomes collective guilt and reparative action. #expands (0.78) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 427
• Victims of inequality can unknowingly adopt beliefs that perpetuate their own disadvantage #complicates (0.78)
• Perceived group inequity motivates distress that drives restorative action #complicates (0.78) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 431
• Guilt motivates corrective actions while shame triggers defensive reactions to inequality #qualifies (0.76) — Janet K. Swim and Deborah L. Miller, White Guilt, 137
• Blaming the system and revolting against it are effective adaptive responses to discrimination #complicates (0.76)
• System justification drives even disadvantaged groups to internalize inferiority #complicates (0.75) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1399
• Collective guilt acceptance is a validated measure mediating inequality salience and reparations #responds-to (0.75) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 148
• Positive emotions like pity can reinforce group inequality by casting groups as incompetent #exemplifies (0.74)
• Victims of discrimination adapt through either externalization or internalization of blame #expands (0.74) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1048
• Positive feelings like pity can reinforce inequality #exemplifies (0.74) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2273
• Disadvantaged groups stereotype each other to feel superior to comparable groups #expands (0.73) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2891
• Blaming structural inequality for outcomes protects self-esteem in disadvantaged groups #expands (0.72) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1070