Opposition, Imitation, and the Spread of Victimhood

Campbell and Manning discuss how new moral cultures spread, focusing on the dynamics involved in the spread of victimhood culture. These include changes in childhood socialization, such as higher degrees of adult supervision and protection in the form of helicopter parenting. Campbell and Manning argue that victimhood culture is most developed among social elites, and this makes it a potentially valuable form of cultural capital for those seeking upward mobility, causing it to spread downward in the status structure. The spread of victimhood is strenuously opposed by many, but opposition can turn into imitation as critics of campus culture adopt the language and tactics of their adversaries. Campbell and Manning discuss the phenomenon of competitive victimhood, and how it can aid the spread of victimhood culture, but also produce purity spirals that limit the effectiveness of victimhood activists.