False Consciousness

Essentially, false consciousness is when a person's worldview prevents them from fully understanding the true nature of their social situation. It's a cultural narrative that presents the status quo as natural; thus, justifying the place of each member of a society within a hierarchy. For example, in a social system that is ruled by a monarchy, the cultural narrative explains that the people with power in that society rightfully deserve their power because their blood is more divine than the other members of society. As a result, the members of society who exist at the bottom of this social hierarchy accept their position and believe it's their role to be more devout. Likewise, in a meritocracy, a minimum wage worker would have a false consciousness if they ignore the social structures in place that concentrate wealth and privilege in their society, and believe that they just need to work harder in order to enjoy the same privileges as the upper-class members of their society. As you can see in both cases, the false consciousness doesn't only prevent protest and rebellion in the lower classes, it motivates people to behave in ways that maintain the power structures of each society.