nouns - What is the word for a group holding back one of its members trying to rise above the group?

I know that there is a word which specifically describes the following pattern:

When a group will censor, cast bad votes, shout down, keep down or hold back one of its members trying to rise above the group, even though the group gains no benefit from this behavior. In fact, the group could actually be happy that one of its members tries to achieve more, but instead, the attempt is met with disdain.

An example of this would be as follows: A person from a poor and uneducated background tries to get a university education. If he fails, it is next to certain that he will get snide remarks from his old peer group. Things along the lines: "Nice try, Einstein". Even during the attempt, he may find himself abandoned or even poorly treated by old friends, simply for the "crime" of trying to rise above the group.

Now, I once read a fantastic word to describe this phenomenon, but I can't remember what it is. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Answer

This is often called crab mentality, due to the tendency of crabs in a bucket to pull each other down whenever one tries to escape. The Wikipedia article on crab mentality says it is "best described by the phrase 'If I can't have it, neither can you.'"