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Panglossian Ideology In The Service Of System Justification: How Complementary Stereotypes Help Us To Rationalize Inequality

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kay, AC; Jost, JT; Mandisodza, AN; Sherman, SJ; Petrocelli, JV; Johnson, AL
Published in: Advances in Experimental Social Psychology
April 26, 2007

According to system justification theory, there is a general social psychological tendency to rationalize the status quo, that is, to see it as good, fair, legitimate, and desirable. This tendency is reminiscent of the dispositional outlook of Voltaire's famous character, Dr. Pangloss, who believed that he was "living in the best of all possible worlds." One of the means by which people idealize existing social arrangements is by relying on complementary (or compensatory) stereotypes, which ascribe compensating virtues to the disadvantaged and corresponding vices to the advantaged, thereby creating an "illusion of equality." In this chapter, we summarize a program of research demonstrating that (1) incidental exposure to complementary gender and status stereotypes leads people to show enhanced ideological support for the status quo and (2) when the legitimacy or stability of the system is threatened, people often respond by using complementary stereotypes to bolster the system. We also show that (noncomplementary) victim-blaming and (complementary) victim-enhancement represent alternate routes to system justification. In addition, we consider a number of situational and dispositional moderating variables that affect the use and effectiveness of complementary and noncomplementary representations, and we discuss the broader implications of stereotyping and other forms of rationalization that are adopted in the service of system justification. From time to time, Pangloss would say to Candide:There is a chain of events in this best of all possible worlds; for if you had not been turned out of a beautiful mansion at the point of a jackboot for love of Lady Cunégonde, if you had not been clamped into the Inquisition, if you had not wandered about America on foot, and had not struck the Baron with your sword, and lost all those sheep you brought from Eldorado, you would not be here eating candied fruit and pistachio nuts. "That's true enough," said Candide; "but we must go and work in the garden."-Voltaire, 1758/1947, Candide or Optimism, p. 144. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Published In

Advances in Experimental Social Psychology

DOI

ISSN

0065-2601

Publication Date

April 26, 2007

Volume

39

Start / End Page

305 / 358

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5202 Biological psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
 

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Kay, A. C., Jost, J. T., Mandisodza, A. N., Sherman, S. J., Petrocelli, J. V., & Johnson, A. L. (2007). Panglossian Ideology In The Service Of System Justification: How Complementary Stereotypes Help Us To Rationalize Inequality. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 39, 305–358. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(06)39006-5
Kay, A. C., J. T. Jost, A. N. Mandisodza, S. J. Sherman, J. V. Petrocelli, and A. L. Johnson. “Panglossian Ideology In The Service Of System Justification: How Complementary Stereotypes Help Us To Rationalize Inequality.” Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 39 (April 26, 2007): 305–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(06)39006-5.
Kay AC, Jost JT, Mandisodza AN, Sherman SJ, Petrocelli JV, Johnson AL. Panglossian Ideology In The Service Of System Justification: How Complementary Stereotypes Help Us To Rationalize Inequality. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. 2007 Apr 26;39:305–58.
Kay, A. C., et al. “Panglossian Ideology In The Service Of System Justification: How Complementary Stereotypes Help Us To Rationalize Inequality.” Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, vol. 39, Apr. 2007, pp. 305–58. Scopus, doi:10.1016/S0065-2601(06)39006-5.
Kay AC, Jost JT, Mandisodza AN, Sherman SJ, Petrocelli JV, Johnson AL. Panglossian Ideology In The Service Of System Justification: How Complementary Stereotypes Help Us To Rationalize Inequality. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. 2007 Apr 26;39:305–358.
Journal cover image

Published In

Advances in Experimental Social Psychology

DOI

ISSN

0065-2601

Publication Date

April 26, 2007

Volume

39

Start / End Page

305 / 358

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5202 Biological psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology