Beyond Angry White Men: a progressive sociological imagination as an alternative to aggrieved entitlement

Abstract

ABSTRACT Michael Kimmel, in his book Angry White Men, argues a sense of aggrieved entitlement is central to the experiences of white American men drawn to the far-right. The concept captures both a sense of relative deprivation and rage at having something valuable snatched away. Rather than viewing wealth inequality, insecure work, or being locked out of the housing market as outcomes triggered by neoliberal capitalism, aggrieved entitlement misdirects rage to typical scapegoats – women and minority groups – perceived to be advancing at one’s expense. Some participants in our qualitative study of white Australian men’s political attitudes/experiences demonstrated aggrieved entitlement. Significantly, findings also revealed a counter to aggrieved entitlement, described here as a progressive sociological imagination. Despite significant experiences of relative deprivation, some participants cultivated an awareness of their privilege and blamed neoliberal capitalism for their hardships. Fostering a (progressive) sociological imagination, particularly among younger white men, may be important in undermining the appeal of far-right politics.