Similar to "The Coddling of the American Mind" by Jonathan Haidt & Greg Lukianoff, sociologists Bradley Campbell and Jason Manning take a closer look at the phenomenon happening on certain college campuses: the introduction of concepts like microaggressions, safe spaces, trigger warnings, etc.
It's important to add (just like "Coddling") that these college incidents seem to be mostly isolated to elite universities and do not seem to be a reflection of the majority of colleges. Nevertheless, the number of incidents are increasing and have become a source of ridicule in the mainstream, including an episode on South Park where Cartman sings a song about his "safe space".
But what are these ideas exactly, and why do they keep coming up? The authors seek to help us better understand what they've termed "Victimhood Culture" by using past cultures of Honor and Dignity.
𝐈𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 💪:
📌 Reputation and Bravery are key factors of one’s moral status.
🛡️ Small conflicts are responded to aggressively.
🚨 Little to no appeals to authority, third-parties, and public opinion for justice.
🙌 Examples of Honor Culture: the Old West, the mafia.
🗣️ Phrases you’d hear:
"𝘐 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘥𝘶𝘦𝘭!"
"𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺'𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵."
“𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘱.”
.
𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 👤:
📌 Self-restraint and Civility are key factors of one’s moral status.
🛡️ Small conflicts are responded to with non-violence and compromise.
🚨 May sometimes appeal to authority, third-parties, or public opinion for justice.
🙌 Examples of Dignity Culture: Formal debate, Court of Law, Due Process
🗣️ Phrases you’d hear:
"𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘮𝘦."
“𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭.”
“𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘴.”
.
𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 😨:
📌 Suffering and Victimization are key factors of one’s moral status.
🛡️ Small conflicts are responded to aggressively (like Honor culture).
🚨 Mostly appeals to authority, third-parties, and public opinion for justice.
🙌 Examples of Victimhood Culture: Callout/Cancel Culture, Microaggressions, Trigger Warnings, Safe Spaces
🗣️ Phrases you’d hear:
"𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.”
"𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳; 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰."
"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴; 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘺!"
Throughout the book, the authors continue to remain impartial and reasonable in explaining the situation and its consequences. If you're looking for a book that seeks to ridicule Victimhood Culture, this is NOT the book. It's an academic read: their arguments are balanced, rational, and heavily sourced.
Perhaps it's because I personally embrace Dignity Culture, I admit there were times the authors cited instances of grievances from individuals and I nearly laughed in disbelief: "These people have to be joking, right?!"
It's important we all understand this idea of Victimhood Culture not just for the explanation it entails but also in seeing that this isn't limited to college campuses. These ideas have seeped out into our modern society. We have many modern cultural movements with foundations based upon collective victimhood (e.g. Callout/Cancel Culture, #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, Trumpism).
To emphasize, I'm NOT saying Victimhood Culture is inherently a "bad thing", and neither are the authors of this book. Each culture brings with it a new set of solutions and problems. In Victimhood Culture, we provided platforms and spotlights to victims of injustices that would never have been addressed prior (e.g. crimes of Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby). That's fantastic, and I am all for that!
But on the flip side, Victimhood Culture has overextended its reach, inadvertently supporting instances of victimhood where there is none to be found. False allegations have been made toward individuals whose reputations are now ruined because of them. The irony of Victimhood Culture is you receive more popularity and sympathy by virtue of being a victim, real or imagined. And without any consequences for false accusations, the accuser's social status raised regardless of the truth, why wouldn't someone feel more inclined to lie so long as it benefited them?
Because of Victimhood Culture's need to always believe the victim over the accused, we've let it get in the way of seeing situations in more balanced, critical ways. This unintentional elevation of false victims has done a massive disservice to people who are actual victims of injustice.
This is an important book illuminating not just what's happening on some college campuses but also in how Victimhood Culture has also spread into the mainstream. If we're going to solve society's problems, we need to also be willing to acknowledge this is a problem..
But on a lighter note, it seems as of late Victimhood Culture is having the tide turned. More people are starting to become skeptical of allegations rather than simply jumping to conclusions. Celebrities like Jussie Smollett whose racial accusations turned out to be false is now facing criminal charges for his lies. And let's not forget the recent verdict in the Depp/Heard trial.
Perhaps this book will become pretty outdated within the next few years. But for now, I give this book my recommendation!
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Customers praise the book's thorough research and comprehensive approach to analyzing victimhood culture.
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14 customers mention content, 13 positive, 1 negative
Essential reading. Curious why I haven't seen any of the authors running the circuit.Read more
I sent it to my son who read it and said it is a great book.Read more
...colleges as well as in elements of the democratic party this book is a must read....Read more
...A worthwhile read for those interested in thinking through complex issues rather than the (unfortunately) easier “just tell me what to think .”Read more
10 customers mention comprehensive, 9 positive, 1 negative
...Very well researched and written.Read more
...sense of their motives and behaviour, this book provides the most comprehensive and insightful explanation....Read more
...well, seemingly more for an academic audience, but is still a very thorough and in-depth review of much of the issue we face on college campuses....Read more
This book offers a considered and informative investigation, rich in research and concrete examples, into some of the most intriguing, pressing and...Read more
5 customers mention victimhood culture, 3 positive, 2 negative
...of the most intriguing, pressing and challenging issues, such as victimhood, false accusations, microaggressions, and trigger warnings....Read more
...But on the flip side, Victimhood Culture has overextended its reach, inadvertently supporting instances of victimhood where there is none to be found...Read more
...Extremely thorough and cadenced unfolding of victimhood culture and how it differs from either honor culture or dignity culture....Read more
A Satisfying Walk Through Victimhood CultureRead more
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LluísReviewed in Spain on July 27, 2021
Análisis de las causas, la naturaleza y las consecuencias de la "cultura de la victimización"
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase - ImranReviewed in Singapore on April 12, 2023
Low-cost print but great content
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase - S BrownReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2018
Read this if you want your child to be educated, rather than to be trained/brainwashed to be a social justice warrior
Format: KindleVerified Purchase -
SpinozisteReviewed in France on March 3, 2019
Excellent ouvrage : utile, lucide et pénétrant
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
