This is part of a larger attempt to move toward an integrated, multilevel theory of the process through which stratified social orders are legitimated. Using self-evaluation theory as a starting point, this paper develops modifications of the theory with respect to those aspects of the legitimation process involving face-to-face interaction and self-formation. These modifications entail: (1) redefinition of the concept of self-evaluation in such a way that it cannot be confused with such general concepts as self-esteem or self-efficacy; (2) explanation of why self-evaluation is grounded within a framework of equity norms, rather than some other normative foundation; and (3) explication of the concept of hegemony, showing how it articulates with self-evaluation theory in the form of subprocesses. The revised explication of the theory is summarized and the implications for the possibility of delegitimation are discussed.
