The article describes the main national and international findings in the area of tolerance and legitimacy of social and economic inequalities. Despite the existence of different theoretical frameworks, the system justification theory is probably one of the approaches that provides the best conceptualisation, since it considers causal mechanisms. The main postulate of this theory is that people from low status groups are more supportive of the socio-economic status quo, as this provides them with psychological benefits, such as reduced stress and uncertainty. In line with the main hypotheses of the system justification theory, the article evaluates these using the database generated by the United Nations Development Programme in Chile in 2015. The results, which were obtained from analysis of variance and linear regressions, reject all the proposed hypotheses, suggesting that individuals from high status groups tolerate inequalities to a greater degree than those from low status groups, and the relationship between meritocracy and tolerance of inequality is more important in the former group. These findings are explained in terms of the socio-cultural framework and methodology used, which are different from those involved in the empirical evidence used to propose the system justification theory.
Keywords:
Tolerance for inequality, System justification theory, Chile
Vargas, S. (2016). Tolerance for inequality in Chile: an empirical review of the system justification theory. Revista Némesis, (13), 58–76. Retrieved from https://revistanemesis.uchile.cl/index.php/RN/article/view/66199
