Working class people rationalize the status quo through meritocratic beliefs

Evidence

We have examined here the working (and lower middle) class defenses of the present order. They are well organized and solidly built. By and large these people believe that the field is open, merit will tell. They may then deprecate the importance of class, limit their perspectives, accept their situation reluctantly or with satisfaction. They may see the benefits of society flowing to their own class, however they define it. They tend to believe that each person’s status is in some way deserved. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2232

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Workers compensated for meaningless rationalized jobs with glittering distractions instead of class consciousness — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 469; Meritocracy is a fairy tale masking class as individual choice — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 222; The meritocratic promise of market society disguised its classist foundations. — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order: How Economists…, 1571 (+7 more)