The Protestant work ethic is endorsed partly to justify inequality

Evidence

Finally, by mediational strength we refer to the degree with which a given LM serves as a link between the desire to establish and maintain groupbased social hierarchy on the one hand, and endorsement of hierarchy-enhancing or hierarchyattenuating social policies on the other hand. For example, those who strongly support the Protestant work ethic are also those most opposed to help for the poor and the less fortunate. According to SD theory, part of the reason people endorse the Protestant work ethic is because this ideology is an accessible and socially acceptable means of justifying group-based social inequality. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3226

Categorization

• XREF: Webers Protestant ethic thesis turned on its head — instead of work ethic producing capitalism, the ethos function is legitimization of hierarchy. — connects to: Walmart’s ‘associate’ ideology reframes wage labor as spiritual self-investment, updating the Protestant work ethic. — Max Haiven, Cultures of Financialization, 289