Subjective status and perceived legitimacy across countries.

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Sociology
• Political Science

Background:

• Understanding complicity in oppression requires examining the link between subjective status and perceived legitimacy.
• Previous research has not comprehensively explored this relationship across diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between subjective social status and perceived system legitimacy.
• To explore variations in this association across individuals and countries.
• To identify factors moderating the relationship between status and legitimacy.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of novel data from 66 samples comprising 12,788 participants across 30 countries.
• Statistical examination of the correlation between subjective status and perceived legitimacy.
• Investigation of eight moderator variables influencing the status-legitimacy relationship.

Main Results:

• Individuals with higher subjective status consistently perceived the social system as more legitimate than those with lower status.
• The positive association between status and legitimacy showed variation across individuals and countries but was never negative.
• Group identification, self-esteem, and beliefs in social mobility were associated with perceived legitimacy among low-status individuals.

Conclusions:

• Subjective social status is a significant predictor of perceived system legitimacy.
• While generally positive, the relationship is moderated by individual and contextual factors.
• Psychological and social mobility beliefs play a role in how low-status individuals perceive system legitimacy, offering insights into social cohesion and inequality.