People stereotype themselves and their own groups to justify existing social arrangements

Evidence

We have argued that system-justification may over-ride motives to justify the positions or actions of the self or group, thus leading to negative stereotyping of the self or in-group and the high degree of consensuality of stereotypes. The review of selected evidence indicates that people often will make sense of existing states of affairs by assigning attributes to the self and others that are consonant with the roles or positions occupied by individuals and groups. Stereotypes appear to serve a system-justification function for their adherents such that prevailing systems of social arrangements are justified and reproduced. By acknowledging the importance of stereotyping as justification, we can begin to address the psychological basis of false consciousness. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2960

Categorization

• DEEPTHINKING: The claim that people stereotype their own in-groups negatively to justify the system is paradigm-shifting precisely because it overturns the self-serving bias assumption — worth sitting with.
• XREF: connects to: Disadvantaged groups accept stereotypes that sustain their own oppression. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, 2911; Social role arrangement alone produces justifying stereotypes in both parties. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, 2914; Stereotypes legitimize existing social hierarchy even against people’s own interests — Susan T. Fiske et al., A Model of (Often Mixed) Stereotype…, 43 (+5 more)