The Social Psychology of the Great Recession and Social Class Divides

The Great Recession, a marked global economic decline that began in December 2007 in the United States, has affected the entire world economy, although more in some countries than others. It has increased income inequality, intergenerational tensions, and anti-immigrant prejudices. This issue aims to discuss social psychological effects of economic downturns on intergroup and interpersonal relations. Two lines of research, closely related, converge in this issue because the Great Recession has brought social-class inequality into the foreground of worldwide contention. The first line of research here explores how social-class membership influences interpersonal and intergroup processes: trust, deservingness, identity, educational attainment, stereotypes, ideologies, and group behaviors. The second line analyzes how the Great Recession has been affecting people's own lives and their psychological reactions, depending on their social class. Throughout this overview, we introduce the contributions to this special issue. The volume contributes to social psychological ideas about both social classes and the recession.