Restoring Ingroup Status and Glory: Essentialism as Ingroup Preservation When Collective Victimhood Narratives Are Endorsed

This study examines whether a specific type of leader rhetoric, collective victimhood rhetoric, shapes social identity and group normative structure as ultra-distinctive and immutable. Following measures of outgroup (Muslim) vitality and ingroup existential identity-uncertainty, Indian Hindu participants ( N = 149) were randomly assigned to read either a leader narrative of ingroup collective victimhood or a pro-diversity narrative. Participants completed measures of leader endorsement and ingroup essentialism of status. Results indicated that support for collective victimhood rhetoric was related to heightened essentialism of ingroup status as naturally endowed. This effect was accentuated under high identity-uncertainty about the ingroup's future. Findings also replicated results from previous research. Identity-uncertainty about the ingroup's (Hindu) religious future mediated the relationship between outgroup (Muslim) vitality and leader support. Support for leader victimhood rhetoric was heightened when identity-uncertainty was high. Implications for populist leader support are discussed, as victimhood rhetoric is central to populist mobilization of followers.