Wenn Kinder in einer benachteiligten Lage glauben, dass ihr Status unveränderlich ist, übernehmen sie möglicherweise Überzeugungen, die die bestehende Hierarchie rechtfertigen, um ihrer Realität einen Sinn zu geben. Indem sie die Vorstellung unterstützen, dass Hierarchie gut oder notwendig ist, können sie psychologisch mit ihrer niedrigeren Position zurechtkommen.

I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fxge0001861

From the linked article:

Social dominance orientation emerges in early childhood independent of parental socialization, new study suggests

New research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General provides evidence that children as young as five years old develop preferences for social hierarchy that influence how they perceive inequality. This orientation toward social dominance appears to dampen empathy for lower-status groups and reduce the willingness to address unfair situations. The findings suggest that these beliefs can emerge early in development through cognitive biases, independent of direct socialization from parents.

The findings from this third study were unexpected. The researchers initially hypothesized that high-status children would be the most likely to endorse hierarchy. Instead, the data showed that children assigned to the low-status group reported higher social dominance orientation, provided they believed that group status was stable.

“When we tested whether children randomly assigned to high or low status groups were more likely to endorse these preferences for hierarchy, we were surprised that those in low status groups who also believed that their group status was stable were the ones most likely to self-report greater preference for hierarchy,” Lei told PsyPost.

This result suggests a psychological process known as system justification. **When children in a disadvantaged position believe their status is unchangeable, they may adopt beliefs that justify the existing hierarchy to make sense of their reality. By endorsing the idea that hierarchy is good or necessary, they can psychologically cope with their lower position.**

Across all three studies, the data indicated that social dominance orientation is distinct from simple ingroup bias. Social identity theory suggests that people favor their own group simply because they belong to it. However, the current findings show that preferences for hierarchy operate differently. For instance, in the third study, children in both high and low-status groups preferred their own group. Yet, the increase in social dominance orientation was specific to low-status children who viewed the hierarchy as stable.

I don’t think these kids want to „justify“ their place in the hierarchy especially if it is low. I mean who really wants to be there? Yes they deserve their misery the winners say. It’s just that, when you are a kid and all the societal cues point to you joining a slave system and exhausting rat race, you inevitably lose hope. kids are smarter than that and we have less economic mobility than ever. Society doesn’t care to coordinate the resources to help people, and resigns to blame the victim. Unfortunately It’s easier that way.

This could be a key aspect to why poor people develop reactionary fascist tendencies, as those tend to espouse hierarchy as the moral guide to the universe. Once you start justifying your own place in society, you also manfucture consent for where others are. Pretty sure it also can tie into why belief in a meritocracy is bad for you [A belief in meritocracy is not only false: it’s bad for you | Princeton University Press](https://press.princeton.edu/ideas/a-belief-in-meritocracy-is-not-only-false-its-bad-for-you)

They can also express themselves, reject that authority and join a community like r/punk

Basically mass stockholm syndrome. When a prisoner sees (or thinks they see) zero chance of escape, they convince themselves that they are NOT prisoners at all. That everything that’s happening is okay because they deserve it.