Deconstructing Meritocracy in the College Classroom

The American Meritocracy Myth Stress: Scale Development and Initial Validation

“…The assumption that U.S. society is meritocratic (which is to say, solely based on individual hard work) is, according to most scholars, a myth (Alvarado, 2010; Ellemers & Barreto, 2009; Major et al, 2007; McCoy et al, 2013; Mijs, 2016; Sue, 2004; White et al, 2017). Sue (2004) elaborated on the concept of “myth” by explaining that individuals are culturally conditioned to develop prejudice against certain individuals and groups, and are prone to adopting societal biases that mask inequality and oppression.…”

“…Sue (2004) elaborated on the concept of “myth” by explaining that individuals are culturally conditioned to develop prejudice against certain individuals and groups, and are prone to adopting societal biases that mask inequality and oppression. In other words, individuals who have encountered pervasive prejudice can attribute their experiences with marginalization to inadequate individual hard work, rather than as a byproduct of social injustice (Alvarado, 2010; Major et al, 2007; White et al, 2017). For instance, Mercer et al (2011) illustrated the myth of meritocracy by focusing on African American individuals who had not received a promotion; when the issues of potential racial prejudice were brought up, the individuals tended to deny the impact of race on managerial decisions, and expressed a firm belief that merits were properly rewarded by management.…”

“…From 2000 to 2020, however, growing literature has argued that such a pervasive meritocracy ideology may serve as a systemic source of psychological stress (Foster et al, 2006; Kwate & Meyer, 2010; Sue, 2004; White et al, 2017). Despite this argument, the lack of an appropriate scale has made it difficult for psychologists to explore how the myth is associated with individuals’ psychological stress.…”