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Stigmatising the Poor without Negative Images: Images of Extreme Poverty and the Formation of Welfare Attitudes

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  • Béla Janky
  • Béla Janky
  • Boglarka Bakó
  • Péter Szilágyi
  • Adrienn Bognár

Abstract

In the past two decades, many studies have warned of the role the popular media might play in the stigmatisation of the poor. Media reports about poverty often include references to antisocial behaviour, which make the principle of deservingness particularly conspicuous and could also strengthen the effects of ethnic stereotypes. We argue, however, that it could be misleading to place all the blame for stigmatisation on direct references to ‘undeserving’ behaviour. Media images of extreme distress themselves could have a selective stigmatising effect. Thus, even benevolent portrayal of the poor could erode sympathy. This paper presents the results of a video-vignette experiment on a sample of Hungarian students. The subjects watched one of four versions of a video interview with a poor person (none of them contained any references to antisocial behaviour) and then expressed their attitudes towards welfare payments. We found that support for welfare was higher where a version highlighted signs of extreme distress. But this was only the case if there were no mention of ethnic minorities. If the video report emphasized that Roma (Gypsies), the largest disadvantaged minority group in Hungary, lived in the neighbourhood, signs of their extreme hardship lowered the support for welfare payments.

Suggested Citation

  • Béla Janky & Béla Janky & Boglarka Bakó & Péter Szilágyi & Adrienn Bognár, 2014. "Stigmatising the Poor without Negative Images: Images of Extreme Poverty and the Formation of Welfare Attitudes," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 19(3), pages 246-255, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socres:v:19:y:2014:i:3:p:246-255
    DOI: 10.5153/sro.3447
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Horváth, Ágnes & Janky, Béla, 2014. "Ethnic stereotypes and preferences on poverty assistance," Economics Discussion Papers 2014-35, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    2. Gábor Kertesi & Gábor Kézdi, 2011. "Roma employment in Hungary after the post‐communist transition," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 19(3), pages 563-610, July.
    3. Imogen Tyler, 2013. "The Riots of the Underclass?: Stigmatisation, Mediation and the Government of Poverty and Disadvantage in Neoliberal Britain," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 18(4), pages 25-35, November.
    4. Tamás Bartus, 2005. "Estimation of marginal effects using margeff," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 5(3), pages 309-329, September.
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