Perceptions of Low‐Status Workers and the Maintenance of the Social Class Status Quo

Abstract

In this moment of increasing social inequalities after the Great Recession, studying the psychological processes that contribute to maintaining such inequalities is an urgent task for scholars. These processes include specific social‐class‐member perceptions that function to make these disparities seemingly fair. In particular, stereotypes and dehumanizing images of low‐status workers have become powerful means for perpetuating social disparities across history and cultures. In the present work, we aim to reveal the invariance of these images and their importance in maintaining the social hierarchies through an integrated approach that combines a historical perspective with an illustrative review of the empirical research. Further, we aim to show how the stigma of low‐status work affects the workers’ self‐view and may lead them to accept the status quo. We conclude by discussing the implications of this work for enriching the understanding of social‐class divides and suggesting avenues for future research.