Threatened identity and low collective self-esteem fuel out-group scapegoating.

Evidence

At this point, the German people had no nation, no military, no wealth, and no identity. Their collective self-esteem was extremely low, and their future was quite uncertain. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 912

Categorization

• XREF: Links to the reader’s inclusion-need and self-esteem-threat literature on the roots of prejudice. — connects to: Frustrated basic needs drive groups to scapegoat others for destructive fulfillment. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 79; Group-level threats trigger bias even absent direct threat to the self. — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup…, 28; People curb death anxiety by identifying evil with out-groups via scapegoating. — Jeff Greenberg and Spee Kosloff, Terror Management Theory: Implications…, 55 (+10 more)

Broader Connections

• Threatened self-esteem drives people to derogate stigmatized groups to feel better #corroborates (0.90) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2376
• Self-image threat increases derogation of stigmatized groups as esteem repair #corroborates (0.90) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2377
• Threatened self-esteem plus uncertainty drives people into rigid group identity. #corroborates (0.85) — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 913
• Group esteem threat can spill attitudes onto unrelated outgroups #expands (0.85) — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup Attitudes, 57
• Threatened self-worth increases outgroup derogation, which then restores self-esteem #expands (0.85) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1173
• Self-esteem threat spurs ingroup favoritism, but chronic low self-esteem does not #qualifies (0.85) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 343
• Status insecurity triggers reflexive disparagement of outgroups #corroborates (0.85) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 115