Settler combined ideologies and their outcome: Zoe Bertenshaw, Carla Houkamau, Chris G. Sibley, Danny Osborne, ‘Identifying Profiles of Colonial Ideologies: A Test of the Moral Credentialer Hypothesis’, European Journal of Social Psychology, 2025 | settler colonial studies blog

Settler combined ideologies and their outcome: Zoe Bertenshaw, Carla Houkamau, Chris G. Sibley, Danny Osborne, ‘Identifying Profiles of Colonial Ideologies: A Test of the Moral Credentialer Hypothesis’, European Journal of Social Psychology, 2025

14Mar25

Abstract: Research warns of a tokenistic combination of two colonial ideologies that recognises Indigenous culture as part of the nation’s identity (low symbolic exclusion) yet denies the relevance of colonisation to contemporary inequities (high historical negation). Because symbolic exclusion and historical negation respectively reinforce symbolic and material inequalities, this Moral Credentialer profile may mask intolerance with superficial support for equality. Using latent profile analysis, we investigate the presence of this asymmetric response pattern among a nationwide random sample of Pakeha (New Zealand Europeans; ¯ N = 13,877) and Maori ( ¯ N = 2004). As expected, we identify heterogeneity among both ethnic groups, yet find a Moral Credentialer profile (high historical negation and low symbolic exclusion) among only Pakeha. Sociopolitical attitudes predicted profile membership, which, in turn, predicted bicultural political attitudes. Results thus corroborate a tokenistic subgroup of settler colonisers who endorse less costly forms of symbolic equality whilst upholding material inequities.

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