Arbitrary-set social hierarchies arise only where economic surplus is sustainable.

Evidence

After noting the ubiquitousness of group-based social hierarchy, social dominance theory goes on to make three primary assumptions: (a) While age and gender based hierarchies tend to exist within all social systems, arbitrary-set systems of social hierarchy invariably emerge within social systems producing sustainable economic surplus; (b) Most forms of group conflict and oppression (e.g., racism, ethnocentrism, sexism, nationalism, classism, regionalism) are different manifestations of the same basic human predisposition toward group-based social hierarchy; (c) Human social systems are subject to the influences of “hierarchy-enhancing” (HE) forces, promoting group-based social inequality, and that are partially counterbalanced by opposing “hierarchyattenuating” (HA) forces, group-based social equality. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3264

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces the core HE/HA (hierarchy-enhancing/attenuating) distinction and the three foundational assumptions of social dominance theory.
• SEED: Could anchor an essay tracing whether surplus-producing prehistoric societies actually show more arbitrary-set hierarchy than egalitarian hunter-gatherers.