Systemic Rejection Theory: Dismantling Harmful Social Systems

Abstract

Social structures that are highly stigmatized yet persist in modern times often lead us to believe that social change is a slow and arduous feat to achieve. However, this paper introduces Systemic Rejection Theory (SRT), a theoretical framework that explains how deeply seated harmful systems, such as patriarchy, are sustained by a triadic structure: mental (passive public acceptance), cultural (active reinforcement through media and/or tradition), and economic (tangible material incentives or dependencies). SRT proposes that with the implementation of social techniques to manipulate any one of the aforementioned pillars, change is seen across all three dimensions. When one pillar is actively and systematically rejected and demolished, the remaining structure loses coherence, leading the system to recede into the "imaginary realm"—a space where it no longer affects lived reality. Further into the paper, cases from the past that illustrate how targeted dismantling of one pillar will lead to the spontaneous disintegration of others are recalled for application in contemporary times. Lastly, while SRT advocates dismantling harmful social structures, it also has an inverse model; that is, preserving moral values and modernizing effective systems that benefit humanity may be sustained or brought into the "reality realm" by reinforcing the three pillars. This paper concludes by outlining strategies that can be implemented to enable both disintegration and preservation in the transformation of social realities.