One of the most pressing tasks facing policymakers in the 21st century is reducing stark group-based inequalities that have developed within many societies because of centuries of structural discrimination. However, efforts to redress group disparities through equality-promoting policies are frequently met with policy backlash and countermobilization. We describe several social psychological contributors to policy backlash, distinguishing between identity-based and ideology-based processes. While the role of identity politics in driving support and opposition to policies pertaining to race, gender, and sexual orientation is well-known, less attention has been given to the role of ideological motivation, including individual and group differences in system justification tendencies to defend and bolster the societal status quo. In this article, we develop a framework based on system justification theory to understand why backlash against equality-promoting policies occurs, when such backlash is most likely to occur, and who is most likely to be countermobilized against such policies. From this perspective, policy backlash is motivated not only by the desire on the part of advantaged group members to maintain their own existing privileges but also by the broader desire to maintain the perceived legitimacy and stability of the overarching social system. We make recommendations about how leaders can develop and communicate about equality-promoting policies in a way that reduces the likelihood of backlash due to system justification motivation.

中文翻译：

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作为反对平等促进政策的反弹来源的系统理由动机——以及如何应对

决策者在 21 世纪面临的最紧迫任务之一是减少由于数百年的结构性歧视而在许多社会中形成的基于群体的严重不平等现象。然而，通过促进平等的政策来纠正群体差异的努力经常遇到政策反弹和反动员。我们描述了导致政策反弹的几个社会心理因素，区分了基于身份的过程和基于意识形态的过程。虽然身份政治在推动支持和反对与种族、性别和性取向有关的政策方面的作用是众所周知的，但很少有人关注意识形态动机的作用，包括个人和群体在系统辩护倾向方面的差异并巩固社会现状。在本文中，我们开发了一个基于系统合理性理论的框架，以了解为什么会发生对促进平等政策的强烈反对，何时最有可能发生这种强烈反对，以及最有可能反对此类政策的人。从这个角度来看，政策反弹不仅是出于优势群体成员维护自己现有特权的愿望，而且是出于维护总体社会体系的合法性和稳定性的更广泛愿望。我们就领导者如何制定和交流促进平等的政策提出建议，以减少因系统理由动机而引起强烈反对的可能性。何时最有可能发生这种反弹，以及最有可能反对此类政策的人。从这个角度来看，政策反弹不仅是出于优势群体成员维护自己现有特权的愿望，而且是出于维护总体社会体系的合法性和稳定性的更广泛愿望。我们就领导者如何制定和交流促进平等的政策提出建议，以减少因系统理由动机而引起强烈反对的可能性。何时最有可能发生这种反弹，以及最有可能反对此类政策的人。从这个角度来看，政策反弹不仅是出于优势群体成员维护自己现有特权的愿望，而且是出于维护总体社会体系的合法性和稳定性的更广泛愿望。我们就领导者如何制定和交流促进平等的政策提出建议，以减少因系统理由动机而引起强烈反对的可能性。政策反弹的动机不仅是优势群体成员希望维持他们现有的特权，而且更广泛的愿望是维护总体社会体系的合法性和稳定性。我们就领导者如何制定和交流促进平等的政策提出建议，以减少因系统理由动机而引起强烈反对的可能性。政策反弹的动机不仅是优势群体成员希望维持他们现有的特权，而且更广泛的愿望是维护总体社会体系的合法性和稳定性。我们就领导者如何制定和交流促进平等的政策提出建议，以减少因系统理由动机而引起强烈反对的可能性。