relative deprivation

n. The subjective perception that the amount of a desirable resource a person has is less than is expected or deserved. This perception of deprivation is usually based on one's mental reference group – that is, by asking the question “What are people like me getting?” which involves judgments about the self as well as perceptions of others relative to the self. Research has suggested that a sense of deprivation can result from perceptions about self relative to the perceived peer group and from perceptions that a person's in-group gets less than other groups.