Giving Compass' Take:

• American psychologists have noted numerous times that the myth within economic growth is that you can go far based on your merit alone and that gender, race, the socioeconomic status will not hinder your progress. 

• While this is a myth, the concept of meritocracy is spreading to education systems in developing worlds, which unfortunately causes educators to overlook the disparities that already exist in those countries. 

• Read more about the myth of meritocracy and the harsh effects it has on kids of color in the U.S. 

The idea of meritocracy has long pervaded conversations about how economic growth occurs in the United States. The concept is grounded in the belief that our economy rewards the most talented and innovative, regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic status, and the like.

In the case of gender, research across disciplines shows that believing an organization or its policies are merit-based makes it easier to overlook the subconscious operation of bias. People in such organizations assume that everything is already meritocratic, and so there is no need for self-reflection or scrutiny of organizational processes.

In fact, psychologists have found that emphasizing the value of merit can actually lead to more bias in favor men.

Ironically, despite growing recognition of the pitfalls of meritocracy for women and minorities, the concept has been exported to developing countries through economic policies, multilateral development programs, and the globalization of media and curricula.

In countries with deep social divisions like India, where the number of women in the workforce dropped 11.4 percent between 1993 and 2012, the mantra of meritocracy has taken hold as a potential means to overcome these divides and drive economic growth—especially in education.

Read the full article on the meritocracy myth by Rachael Goodman and Sarah Kaplan  at Stanford Social Innovation Review