Perceived fundamental interest conflict makes reform look hopeless to weaker parties

Evidence

The more that contending interests appear to be fundamentally in conflict with others, the more hopeless social change appears to be for interests that are relatively weak. — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy, 1349

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels the reader’s other work on how institutionalized categories seem unchangeable, thereby freezing the underlying cultural narrative in place.