Racial Discrimination Increases When Resources Are Scarce

The findings of this study are probably intuitively known by most people but it is still helpful to see science confirm intuitive knowledge more formally. This study raises the interesting possibility that the increased polarization (and thus discrimination) in Western countries observed in recent years is probably linked to the decrease in financial stability (e.g. net worth) for the majority of the population. Interestingly, the study found that egalitarian people actually discriminated less in times of scarcity, but I would like to see this replicated in more extreme circumstances as I have seen even very altruistic people become quite selfish when exposed to severe scarcity.

https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...33328/Krosch+Tyler+Amodio+(in+press)+JPSP.pdf
Discrimination more likely when resources are scarce | Cornell Chronicle

"...At the height of the Great Recession, psychologist Amy Kroschnoticed a troubling trend: people of color seemed to be getting much harder hit than the white population on a number of socioeconomic indicators. She wondered whether something about the psychological effects of economic scarcity might be making pre-recession racial disparities even worse. So Krosch, Cornell assistant professor of psychology, set up a series of experiments to test whether scarcity – or even just the perception of it – would lead people to discriminate more...“Just the mention of scarcity can lead people with little egalitarian motivation to discriminate,” Krosch said."

 

For some time i have thought that elites are importing foreigners to Europe to shift the blame on our crumbling civilization (net energy cliff etc) to them. Basically to let them soak Europe's inevitable aggression, as it cant be funneled through conventional war because of MAD. Dunno.

 

I think that is a very good point. Which country (or countries) in Western Europe do you think is the biggest driver of this process?

 

Oh. I didn't mean to imply that there was only one agenda, that would be silly. Lots of actors and agendas. And i wouldn't like to point blame on any country or politician either. But if an decision was made at some point, that letting foreigners in to EU to take blame of some coming economic / resource crisis, then i would think that it was decided in the EU commission, or near it. Dunno, again.


Some passages relating to your OP, from a book (Why Civilizations Self-Destruct, Elmer Pendell) that i am reading at the moment:


"Every individual is inevitably the center of his world, and instinctively tends to regard his own existence and well-being as matters of supreme importance. This instinctive egoism is, of course, modified by experience, observation, and reflection, and may be so overlaid that it becomes scarcely recognizable even by the individual himself. Nevertheless it remains, and subtly colors every thought and attitude .... Each individual feels that he is really a person of importance. No matter how low may be his capacities, no matter how egregious his failures, no matter how unfavorable the judgment of his fellows; still his inborn instincts of self-preservation and self-love whisper that he should survive and prosper, that 'things are not right,' and that if the world were properly ordered he would be much better placed."

"The rule that whatever is appraised has to be judged on its relationship to self may involve standards already set up by the self. Time, energy and interest are limited, so most of the details are merely lumped together. The practice applies to the selection of clothing, books, movies, autos, friends, almost everything. When you put certain people in an unfavorable category, others who would classify them differently will accuse you of prejudice and discrimination. In many instances you are prejudging, reaching conclusions before you have considered the essential facts. Usually your critics are prejudging too. They have not dug for the truth any more than you. You will probably defend your classification without thinking through the particular circumstances. Your critics will similarly argue for their ideas rather than test them."

"A superiority feeling is not a complex, but the primordial state of consciousness. While we may sometimes bolster our own egos by ridiculing what seems to be the pretensions of our neighbors, let's not lose sight of the fact that the feeling of superiority is an aspect of putting self in the center of things, an act required by consciousness for coordination. After one has been jolted a few times by experience, he is likely to reassess himself, and to see himself as others see him. Or he may lean over backward and develop an inferiority feeling. The latter can appropriately be referred to as a complex because it sums up a variety of experiences. But an egocentric position will remain the major basis of orientation, no matter how small a speck of dust man believes himself to be."

"To what, besides self (and immediate bodily needs), does consciousness give direct attention? For some the mere flow of life may monopolize their attention. For most people, however, a sense of purpose, which derives from their conclusions about the appropriateness of their activities, will keep some order in daily life. Purpose is likely to reinforce some habits, which in turn reinforce purpose. Since it gives persistence to motivation, it has, at least in the past, improved our chances of survival."

"In a modern setting, in the short run, a sense of purpose has little to do with individual survival, since civilization takes care of the indigent. In the long run, however, a sense of purpose-or better a strength of purpose-determines the level of civilization. If individuals had no sense of purpose their behavior would be unpredictable, and social organization would be impossible. Proceeding from hunting and agricultural stages to village and city living, individuals have coordinated their behavior and the resulting social patterns have become a framework in which the sense of purpose of newer group members takes shape. The inherited tendency of individuals to formulate and persist in their various purposes is necessary to successful city organization. If birthrates, emigration or immigration are such as to result in a large proportion of the inhabitants of a city being of low intelligence or lacking purpose, urban conditions deteriorate."

"As to the hereditary tendency of men to be purposeful, it seems to belong to that aspect of intelligence which has to do with the power of anticipation. Purposefulness, moreover, involves considering the influence of present actions on future results. As Leonard Hobhouse said in Mind in Evolution, purpose "involves an idea of an end." A sense of purpose has aided survival in many ways, primarily perhaps by stimulating the preparation for winter in prehistoric times and in laying in supplies for lean years."

"Armed with the perspective of a strong purpose, decisions are relatively easy. Random impulses, which may be competing or conflicting, are subordinated or excluded. Anything that does not contribute to the main effort is ruled out. To a person with a central purpose, boredom is rare. Life is intense, fascinating and consistent. And in working for an ideal, the individual can be confident and comfortable that he is standing in the center of things."

 

The ones that have the most power and the most to lose. UK, Germany, France. These are also the countries with the some of the highest amount of immigration.

 

Adaptive stress response to environmental resource pressure turning off non vital systems (in this case, friendliness or, when cells do it, differentiation/specialization).

 

Since the SAD diet is a big part of the negative mind-body-health spiral, I guess we could conclude that eating PUFAs is inherently racist.

In all seriousness, interesting stuff. Abundance lost, queue the tribalism.

 

It could also be that the increasing "diversity" is a cause of "polarization". I think also that "selfishness" seems a very obvious adaptive response to scarcity, pathologically egalitarian traits that resulted in selfess death would not be passed on.

That first paper is quite long for this time of day, to anyone who has read it, or is familiar with these researchers, can you explain why "We specifically focused on the allocation decisions of non-Black, majority White American samples toward Black and White recipients."?

They also seems to use the buzz terms "scarcity" and "inequality" in the context of (presumably forced) resource redistribution, isn't there some data on this in the real world already? The tribal conflicts within the Equalitarian Utopias of Russia, Poland and Hungary, for example?

 

Also men beating women, treating animals like s*** and lots of behaviors that tends to disappear with economic prosperity. When humans start getting back in time to the stone age (like in socialist countries) you'll see people fighting for a chicken or less than five pounds of flour, and that isn't from a scientific study, I see this kind of things on daily life.

 

Nice!, like group flight or flight mode.... i wonder if there would be a population segment wide increase in NE and cortisol as a result of environmental scarcity stress

 

Makes sense. I would say things like the constant promotion of police shootings towards black people and black lives matter protests towards white people leads each races to feel slighted by the other leading to a self feeding fire of sorts. And then of course there's the muslim ban and the wall building...

Germany, Sweden, France.

Serotonin is a hell of a drug.

 

Vesi,

"A superiority feeling is not a complex, but the primordial state of consciousness"

Elmer Pendler has no clue about human nature. Don't waste your time. The world would be far more pleasant if most people had a superiority complex. A person who really did feel superior would be contemptuously indifferent and distant rather than actively malicious.

The purpose of human existence is to transcend the personal ego.

 

Well said.

 

tribalism just like in prison people tend to trust those who are most like them.