System justification makes victims unwittingly complicit in their own disadvantage.

Evidence

A recently identified problem for prejudice victims stems from false consciousness – the idea that one may hold a complex set of beliefs that are both false and contrary to one’s social interest. In general, these beliefs justify a system of inequality in which victims find themselves (see Jackman and Jost & Hamilton, chs. 6 and 13 this volume). The net result is that actions based on such beliefs further one’s disadvantaged position in society. System justification is characterized by psychological tendencies that include failure to perceive injustice and disadvantage, justification of social roles, false attribution of blame, identification with the oppressor, and resistance to change. System justification helps to explain negative self-stereotyping by disadvantaged group members and implicates an unwitting complicity of victims in their victimization. The influence of social-structural dynamics (such as racial segregation or socio-economic status) is known to have an effect on cognitive processes, but with greater subtlety and nuance than was envisioned by Allport. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1071

Categorization

• XREF: Directly connects to the vault’s prejudice-psychology claims; complements falsifiable contact-theory ground with the justification side of the picture.
• DEEPTHINKING: The claim that victims unwittingly collaborate in their own oppression — via justifications that operate outside awareness and contrary to self-interest — carries dense, durable conceptual weight that resists one-line summary.