Infrahumanisation

Blogged by Jonathan Clatworthy

There's a superb blog post by Bernadette Meaden on the Ekklesia website. Responding to the first suicide attributed to the Bedroom Tax, it draws attention to the increasing desperation of the poorest in British society at a time when the richest are getting richer at a phenomenal rate. Why, Bernadette asks, has this situation not caused more public concern? She answers:

Research has shown that many people, shockingly, regard benefit claimants as being less than fully human. This process, known as 'infrahumanisation' means that people in receipt of benefits are thought not to feel the full range of human emotions as say, a 'hard working taxpayer' would.

Unconsciously, the research indicates, people think that those being hurt 'aren't real, full people'.

This explains a lot. Writing this in Liverpool, I cannot help feeling shocked that so much suffering should be imposed on so many people who are in no way to blame for their country's overall economic situation and cannot get paid employment...

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