Stereotypes gain accuracy through socialization, which then justifies the existing social system

Evidence

The comfortable perceived fit between people’s characteristics and their existing social roles becomes problematic when group members seek to change their roles; they are marked by their old roles, both in how they are perceived but also to some extent in terms of their actual characteristics due to socialization processes that have fit them to their typical roles. It is in this sense that stereotypes gain accuracy (e.g., Hall & Carter, 1999) and thereby possess considerable power to justify the existing social system (Jost & Hamilton, ch. 13 this volume). As Allport (1954/1979, p. 191) emphasized, stereotypes “justify (rationalize) our conduct” in relation to social groups. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 207

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the vault’s system-justification and stereotype-accuracy literature; this is Allport-dependent theorizing of role incongruity.
• DEFINE: Clarifies how ‘stereotype accuracy’ can arise not from perceiver insight but from role-conformity socialization.
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 207