The hidden barrier to poverty alleviation: aporophobia and the rise of neoliberalism morality among youth

This study investigates aporophobia—discrimination against the poor—within the context of neoliberal political economy, focusing on intergenerational differences in attitudes among young people and adults in Barcelona (Spain). A survey distributed to college students and their adult close contacts (N = 832) reveals moderate aporophobic beliefs across both age groups, with young people displaying higher levels of aporophobia than their adult counterparts. We frame this finding within neoliberalism's meritocratic narrative, which attributes poverty to individual failure rather than structural causes —fostering moral blame and legitimizing exclusion. Drawing on the social rivalry hypothesis, we interpret aporophobia as a cultural and psychological mechanism for sustaining beliefs in fairness amid inequality. Our results suggest that internalized neoliberal values among youth may pose a cultural threat to poverty alleviation efforts by undermining empathy and political support for redistributive policies. Recognizing aporophobia as a hidden boundary to effective poverty reduction highlights the need for policy and educational interventions that challenge meritocratic myths and promote structural awareness across generations.