@article{ref1,
title="The role of self-evaluations in legitimizing social inequality",
journal="Social science research",
year="2009",
author="Sutphin, Suzanne Taylor and Simpson, Brent",
volume="38",
number="3",
pages="609-621",
abstract="This research addresses a long standing puzzle in the social sciences: why are stratified social systems accepted as legitimate (the way things &quot;ought&quot; to be) by those who are advantaged and those who are disadvantaged by them? We build on previous studies of self-evaluations to explain the legitimation of inequality. The research consists of two experiments designed to test the self-evaluation theory of legitimacy. The theory proposes that structural inequality becomes legitimated when individuals' self-evaluations and the level of resources they receive are congruent. Study 1 examines the impact of structural power on self-evaluations. Results show that participants randomly assigned to advantaged positions in power structures earn more rewards and, as a result, develop higher self-evaluations than those randomly assigned to disadvantaged positions. Study 2 addresses the relationship between self-evaluations and legitimated structural inequality by testing competing hypotheses of legitimacy. The results partially support the self-evaluation theory and partially support competing arguments about legitimacy. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our work and suggestions for future research.<p />",
language="en",
issn="0049-089X",
doi="10.1016/j.ssresearch.2009.01.007",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2009.01.007"
}