Alt-White? A Gendered Look at "Victim" Ideology and the Alt-Right

Interest in the Alt-Right has grown due to its apparent influence on the 2016 presidential election. Despite growing literature on the Alt-Right as an entity, limited attention has been given to the factors that lead individuals to affiliate with the movement. We investigate if holding a "victim" ideology is associated with affiliation with the Alt-Right for White Americans. This victim ideology has five interrelated components: 1) Whites face racial discrimination; 2) Whites' rights, particularly to their own culture, are being denied; 3) Whites are stigmatized for expressing racial "pride"; 4) discrimination, loss of rights, and stigmatization lead to a loss of self-esteem and other psychological distress; and 5) that these attacks are a threat to the existence of the White race. Results suggest all five elements of White victim ideology are positively associated with affiliation with the Alt-Right, with perceived "reverse" discrimination being the most influential factor. Furthermore, we ask if the associations between victim ideology and Alt-Right affiliation are conditioned by patriarchal gender normative beliefs? Our results reveal components of White victim ideology operate differently for men and women, and the influence of various components are conditioned by gender normative beliefs. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.