Stripped of illusions? Exploring system justification processes in capitalist and post-Communist societies

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Political Science
• Sociology

Background:

• Citizens in Central and Eastern Europe often report higher disillusionment with socio-economic and political systems compared to Western counterparts.
• System justification theory explains how individuals defend or challenge existing social systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze system legitimation and delegitimation in post-Communist societies using social psychology.
• To compare system justification levels and the applicability of system justification theory in post-Communist versus Capitalist societies.

Main Methods:

• Review of system justification theory tenets and findings.
• Comparative analysis of research on system-justifying beliefs across over 20 countries.
• Inclusion of unpublished public opinion data from Poland.

Main Results:

• Lower levels of system justification were confirmed in post-Communist countries.
• Antecedents, manifestations, and consequences of system justification were found to be similar in both post-Communist and Capitalist societies.

Conclusions:

• System justification operates with comparable underlying mechanisms despite differing levels in post-Communist and Capitalist contexts.
• Findings offer insights into system justification theory and the dynamics of societal transition.