Table of Contents
Definition of Scapegoat Theory
(noun) Theory asserting that a dominant group will target a subordinate group with its unfocused aggression.
Example of Scapegoat Theory
- Poor white people in the dominant group attacking poor black people in the subordinate group during the Jim Crow era in south of the United States because of their own desperate situation and low status.
Scapegoat Theory Pronunciation
Syllabification: scape·goat the·o·ry
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /skAYp-goht thEE-uhr-ree/
- British English – /skAYpgOHt thIUH-ree/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˈskeɪpˌgoʊt ˈθiəri/
- British English – /ˈskeɪpgəʊt ˈθɪəri/
Usage Notes
- Plural: scapegoat theories
- A type of theory.
- The process described in scapegoat theory is (noun) scapegoatism and is achieved through (verb) scapegoating.
Additional Information
Related Terms
- affirmative action
- bigotry
- discrimination
- hate crime
- norm
- power
- prejudice
- racism
- social construction of race
- white privilege
Works Consulted
Griffiths, Heather, Nathan Keirns, Eric Strayer, Susan Cody-Rydzewski, Gail Scaramuzzo, Tommy Sadler, Sally Vyain, Jeff Bry, Faye Jones. 2016. Introduction to Sociology 2e. Houston, TX: OpenStax.
Macionis, John, and Kenneth Plummer. 2012. Sociology: A Global Introduction. 4th ed. Harlow, England: Pearson Education.
Cite the Definition of Scapegoat Theory
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “scapegoat theory.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved December 14, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/scapegoat-theory/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
scapegoat theory. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/scapegoat-theory/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “scapegoat theory.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed December 14, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/scapegoat-theory/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“scapegoat theory.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 14 Dec. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/scapegoat-theory/>.