The authors provide an overview of what entails the system justification theory (SJT). In summary, the argument suggests that people have a diverse array of needs which vary from one person to the other. Such demands will become satisfied through defending and justifying the status quo, even when the system is unfavorable to a group of people. Some of the theories that build on the SJT include social identity theory, social dominance theory, cognitive dissonance theory, and Marxist-Feminist theories amongst others. A significant component of the SJT is its tendency to justify the status quo and thus view it as both stable and desirable (Jost, Banaji, & Nosek, 2004).
The authors note that people are naturally inclined to make specific preferences that are in tandem with the status quo and subsequently using it as a mechanism to cope with the unpleasant realities of the world. The rationalization of the status quo also occurs courtesy of stereotypes. The perception of a threat as the predominant system causes individuals to cling to cling to the existing structure due to the fear of the unknown. The authors also discuss out-group favoritism as a major component of the theory by noting that individuals tend to regard groups they do not belong as superior or positive to the ones they are members. The authors further assert that this is an example of a way that people have developed coping mechanisms against inequalities.
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Through depressed entitlement, low-status groups absorb their inferiority as a means of justifying the status quo. It particularly explains why women are contented with their low wages in comparison to their male counterparts. The authors further assess the significance of group-justification and ego-justification in explaining how the society works. The two tenets are particularly essential as it assists people to view themselves and their groups in a positive light. High-status group members are more likely to view the system as fair and just because they are the ones benefiting from it.
Reference
Jost, J. T., Banaji, M. R., & Nosek, B. A. (2004). A decade of system justification theory: Accumulated evidence of conscious and unconscious bolstering of the status quo. Political Psychology , 25 (6), 881-919.
