Scapegoating

A person or category of people being unfairly blamed for certain problems.

When applied to a category of people, this phenomena is a facet of categorism.

Interactions

This facet of categorism is an expression of prejudice and bigotry.

It is likely to intersect with facets such as:

• Reduction: Reducing the target to a role as source of misery.
• Stigmatization: It's rather hard to make someone the scapegoat without stigmatizing them...

As well as with abstractions such as:

• Loosely defined abyss-category: "They" are behind everything bad...

Examples of applying this facet to a particular foci of categorism can include:

• Antisemitism: The idea that Jews secretly caused the black plague... or Germany's loss in World War I.