‘Self‐referenced’ relative deprivation and economic beliefs: the effects of the recession in Alberta*

Abstract

Dans cette communication, les auteurs examinent un modèle théorique selon lequel le sentiment de vivre une privation relative joue un rôle important dans la traduction de l'expérience de difficultés économiques en une ‘idéologie économique’ plus à gauche sur le spectre des options politiques. Les données de l'enquête révèlent que les Albertains qui ont dû réduire leurs dépenses en raison de la récession du milieu des années 1980 avaient effectivement plus tendance à s'associer à des énoncés affirmant la nécessité d'une redistribution de la richesse au sein de la société. Ces relations ont été observées chez des répondants appartenant à la classe ouvrière mais non chez des répondants appartenant à la classe moyenne. This paper tests a theoretical model proposing that feelings of relative deprivation play an important part in translating the experience of economic hard times into more left‐leaning economic beliefs. Survey data reveal that Albertans who had been forced to cut back on expenditures because of the recession of the mid‐1980s were more likely to agree with statements about the need for a redistribution of wealth in society. This pattern of relationships was observed among members of the working class but not within the middle class.

When Prosperity Breeds Intergroup Hostility: The Effects of Relative Deprivation and Relative Gratification on Prejudice

“…Classic research relating macroeconomic downturns to hate crimes (e.g., Hepworth & West, 1988) as well as evidence from the analysis of national surveys indicating a strong correlation between change in the rate of unemployment over time and the level of popular opposition toward immigrants and immigration policy (see Palmer, 1996) suggest that in the RD condition, students will express more negative attitudes toward outgroups (see also Krahn & Harrison, 1992). As Gurr (1970) or Davies (1962) would argue, when economic conditions are getting worse, people may perceive a larger discrepancy between their actual (or anticipated) outcomes and the outcomes to which they feel entitled.…”

The Global Financial Crisis and Individual Distress: The Role of Subjective Comparisons after the Collapse of the Icelandic Economy

“…Few studies have examined how perceived reduction in standard of living during an economic recession influences distress. A survey conducted by Krahn and Harrison (1992) during a 1980s recession in Alberta, Canada, is an exception. Building on relative deprivation theory, this study found that working-class people who perceived a reduction in their standard of living in the recession indicated more support for government redistribution, suggesting that experiencing a reduction in living standard in a crisis can trigger grievance toward the social order.…”

“…Research generally finds harmful effects of recessions on mental health, although there is heterogeneity in the findings (Zivin et al, 2011). Thus, research indicates that crises generally increase distress, but since it has mostly focused on the (aggregate- or individual-level) effects of economic factors (see Krahn and Harrison, 1992), we know little about the mechanisms through which crises influence distress (see Hedström and Swedberg, 1998).…”

Relative Deprivation and Social Identity in Times of Dramatic Social Change: The Case of Nurses1

“…The present becomes the baseline for comparisons with the past or the expected future situation of the in‐group. According to analysts, temporal comparisons are especially important in periods of social change (Albert, 1977; Brown & Middendorf, 1996; Hinkle & Brown, 1990; Mummendey, Mielke, Wenzel, & Kanning, 1992), or in times of economic difficulties (Krahn & Harrison, 1992). For instance, temporal comparisons allow people to re‐evaluate their group position in a drastically changed social environment.…”