Surrendering to social emptiness: Chronic social exclusion longitudinally predicts resignation in asylum seekers.

Abstract

The current knowledge of the long-term consequences of social exclusion mostly relies on theoretical assumptions. (Williams, 2009, Adv. Exp. Soc. Psychol., 41, 275) hypothesized that chronic ostracism drives individuals into a stage of resignation (depression, alienation, unworthiness, helplessness). We focused on asylum seekers (N=112) as a social group at risk of experiencing prolonged instances of exclusion. Applying a three-wave longitudinal design with a three-month interval between each wave, we sought to advance the knowledge of the temporal development of chronic social exclusion. Cross-lagged panel analyses showed that social exclusion influenced the development of feelings of resignation in the long term, from baseline to six months and between three and six months. In the same time frame, the perception of social exclusion became stable and chronic. These findings provide empirical evidence that chronic exclusion predicts resignation and shed light on the temporal development of the detrimental impact that pervasive exclusion can have on people belonging to marginalized social groups.