NCJ Number
165503
Date Published
1996
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The author asserts that the growing divisiveness in American society is the result of claims by various groups of an unassailable moral authority based on victimhood and an entitlement to society's sympathy.
Abstract
According to the author, competing claims of victimhood lead to a lack of compassion for real victims and to a decay in society's sense of morality and equity. The claim that everyone is a victim accounts not only for what some call an outbreak of "emotional influenza" but also for the increasing distrust in social relations. For many Americans, political aspects of victimization have taken the place of more traditional expressions of morality and equity. In addition, both political discourse and academic research have become dominated by the politics of "conspicuous benevolence." Social attitudes based on divisiveness rather than on pluralism may account not only for the paucity of serious public debate about victimization but also for growing divisiveness along race, class, and gender lines and for the tribalization of society as groups define themselves not by their individual worth or shared culture but solely by their status as victims. A distinction is made between politicized sensitivity and decency, civility, and honesty. The influence of victim versus victim politics on political and social debates is considered, and the importance of acknowledging the claims and needs of genuine victims is discussed. The term "compassion fatigue" is used as a framework for understanding the victim culture. 1 illustration