Collective Victimhood Resulting From Structural Violence

Abstract

This chapter discusses collective victimization resulting from structural violence, and how the effects of inequality can have similar deleterious consequences for peoples’ ability to meet basic needs. Social class and structural violence have been underexamined so far in the literature on collective victimhood. However, considering collective victim beliefs due to structural violence—which are related to, but distinct from relative deprivation—enriches our understanding of relevant experiences and extends the collective victim beliefs that should be assessed. The authors show with empirical examples from Italy and South Africa that collective victim beliefs about structural violence are distinct from collective victim beliefs about direct violence. They also reveal that collective victim beliefs about structural violence may predict different outcomes, such as the preference for different forms of acknowledgment or the need for empowerment and acceptance.