Social Psychology Application Essay: Blame
it on the Victims
One
of the most pressing problems in modern society today is poverty. But a more
alarming response to this issue is the attitude of some people towards the
poor. Americans are known to be self-reliant and possesses the attitude that
‘only they can help themselves’. Hence the mentality of blaming the poor for
being poor has been rampant. Most believe that poverty is not pre-determined
and each poor individual has the capacity to overcome such predicament. It is
also easy to blame the poor for their condition because of the government
indirectly tolerating mendicancy and even encourage charitable works for the
poor.
The
term victim blaming was derived from the book of William Ryan where he stressed
the term as justification for racism and social injustice in the US. Ryan
refuted an earlier claim by Daniel Moynihan who claimed that slavery has direct
correlation to the poor state of African-Americans in the US (Bieneck and
Krahe, 2010). Ryan attributed the economic state of African-Americans to the
father’s inability to provide and the reliance to dole outs from the government
and concerned groups and individuals. The term created by Ryan became popular
especially among groups who believe that every unfortunate event that happens
to someone, most of the blame should be placed on the victim. Such mentality
has been embedded in several people’s mind and passed to generations without
even inquiry.
The
poor are easily blamed for their condition because some stakeholders of the
society view the poor as reason for their ineffectiveness. The government
blames the poor for being unproductive and cites their lack of resolve to
improve their situation. Some believe that the government uses the poor as
scapegoat for their failures. Also, in some countries, politicians use the poor
to ensure their positions are maintained. The media also uses the poor to
create materials for their current affairs programming. With poverty all over
the place, media has materials to constantly harp their own agenda. The private sector also targets the poor for
their Corporate Social Responsibility efforts. But most of these programs are
temporary and are not sustainable to further improve the lives of the poor.
Also, these efforts are used by companies to avoid taxes and improve their
reputation.
Michael
Harrington, a psychologist provided an insight as to the condition of the poor
in America. According to him, “there is a a language of the poor, a psychology
of the poor, a worldview of the poor. To be impoverished is to be an internal
alien, to grow up in a culture that is radically different from the one that
dominates the society.” Harrington’s assessment focused on the poor being less
ambitious and hardworking. This might not be the case generally, but there are
situations when such observation is made.
In
the US, some are poor because of bankruptcy. There is also a misconception that
bankruptcy is caused by overspending and debts. But several Americans filed for
Chapter 11 because of costly medical bills. Although their condition as poor
and sick could be a personal circumstance, it is not their fault that
healthcare in the US is expensive. The role of ensuring affordable healthcare
services is part of the government’s main thrusts. Other people are poor
because they lost their jobs. There might be some conservatives who think being
fired means inefficiency at work. But the recent economic problems of the US
and ongoing outsourcing have costs several jobs in the country. Of course this
time, it is hard to blame those who lost their jobs for companies failing and
looking for other options abroad.
The
notion of blaming the victim has deep psychological roots. The social
conditions in the US may have improved, but the historical precedence suggests
an orientation of blaming the victims for their conditions. The idea of blaming
others needs to stop because there is no point in adding salt to the wound.
References
Bieneck, S. and B. Krahe. “"Blaming
the Victim and Exonerating the Perpetrator in Cases of
Rape and Robbery: Is
There a Double Standard?” Journal of
Interpersonal Violence, vol. 26 (9). 2010: 1785-1797.
Harrington, M. The Other America: Poverty in the United States, New York: Scribner.
1997
Moynihan, D. P. “The Negro Family: The Case
For National Action,” March 1965.
<http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/history/webid-meynihan.htm>
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