Meritocracy belief blames excluded individuals for their own exclusion
Evidence
These problems are widely acknowledged by others. There are many organizations dedicated to supporting women in technology, such as Women 2.0, Change the Ratio, Astria, Girls in Tech, the Forum for Women’s Entrepreneurs and Executives, and the National Center for Women and Information Technology. And there has been a flurry of attention paid to egregious sexist incidents at technology conferences and among nerd subcultures. But complex problems have complex solutions. Unfortunately, the persistent idea that the technology industry is a meritocracy undermines these efforts, because it implies—incorrectly—that those who do not rise to the top are less capable than those who do. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 711
Categorization
- XREF: The meritocracy-justifies-hierarchy argument echoes Merton’s Matthew Effect and also connects to the ‘rhetoric of merit’ critiques in the literature on inequality and elites. — connects to: Meritocracy is a fairy tale masking class as individual choice — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 222; Victims of inequality can unknowingly adopt beliefs that perpetuate their own disadvantage; Social identity theory underestimates how readily disadvantaged groups justify their own oppression — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2961 (+7 more)
- DEFINE: Clarifies the mechanism by which meritocracy discourse functions ideologically: it converts structural exclusion into individual blame.
Broader Connections
- Meritocracy is a fairy tale masking class as individual choice
#expands(0.90) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 222 - Believing in individual mobility makes low-status people deny their own victimization
#corroborates(0.90) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 934 - Victims of inequality can unknowingly adopt beliefs that perpetuate their own disadvantage
#corroborates(0.85) - Disadvantaged groups routinely adopt beliefs that perpetuate their own subordination
#corroborates(0.85) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2876 - Social identity theory underestimates how readily disadvantaged groups justify their own oppression
#expands(0.80) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2961 - Blaming the system rather than oneself can protect self-esteem
#contradicts(0.80) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1097 - Attributing disadvantage to structural causes rather than personal character protects self-esteem.
#contradicts(0.75) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1070