Enraged, Rattled, and Wronged

Abstract

The political context producing the Donald Trump presidency put into stark relief the confusion, feelings of victimization, and rage of some constituencies that voted for him. Enraged, Rattled, and Wronged: Entitlement’s Response to Social Progress explores the role of entitlement in fostering inequality in the United States. Scholars and activists in recent decades have correctly incorporated the topic of privilege into discussions of prejudice and discrimination. White privilege, male privilege, heterosexual privilege, and class privilege exemplify the unearned advantages given to socially preferred groups—advantages not enjoyed by marginalized groups. As a result, activists and scholars of prejudice integrate an examination of discrimination against target groups, alongside the corresponding benefits that come to those viewed as the societal norm and ideal (e.g., Whites, heterosexuals, and men). Enraged, Rattled, and Wronged examines psychological entitlement as an overlooked but essential feature of persistent inequality. Psychological entitlement refers to one’s sense of deservingness. In understanding resistance to social progress we must understand how members of advantaged groups come to understand their belief in their own worthiness relative to those in disadvantaged groups. The task of this project is an urgent inquiry given our current political context: What happens to entitled people when they feel pushed aside? What are they willing to tear down as they scramble to keep their grip on relative status and power? This book explores the predictable and unpredictable ways in which entitlement preserves and perpetuates inequality.