Difference between revisions of "Social status" - New World Encyclopedia

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Social status is the standing one holds in society based off of prestige and honor. Social Status is effected by a number of extraneous factors, such as occupation, wealth, education, and family.

Historical Overview

Historically, social status has had varying degrees of importance. The Indian caste system presents social status as a static standing. One is born into their social status and remains there, neither moving up or down in standing, until death. In other cases, status is of relatively little importance or may not exist at all, as is true with some Hunter-Gatherer societies such as the Khoisan, some Indigenous Australian societies, and other non-stratified societies. In these cases, status is limited to specific personal relationships. For example, a !Kung man is expected to take his mother-in-law (his wife's mother) quite seriously; but the mother-in-law has no "status" over anyone but her son-in-law—and only then in certain contexts.

In more recent times, wealth and education are thought of as the main predictor for social status. Cultural bonds, family ties, religion, race, gender, and occupation are all factors when examining social status. For example, many societies place higher esteem on some cultures and races, but not others. Different occupations bring different forms of respect, but occupation is not an indicator of social status. A doctor will have higher status than a factory worker, but in some societies a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant doctor will have higher status than an immigrant doctor of minority religion.

Concepts of Social Status

Social status is conceptualized in many different ways. For instance, ascribed status is the status a person is born into, while achieved status is gained through ones own effort.

Achieved status is a sociological term denoting a social position that a person assumes voluntarily which reflects personal skills, abilities, and efforts. Examples of achieved status are being an Olympic athlete, being a criminal, or being a teacher.

Ascribed status is a social status a person is given from birth or assumes involuntarily later in life. For example, a person born into a wealthy family has a high ascribed status. In contrast, an achieved status is a social position a person takes on voluntarily that reflects personal ability and merit.

Social position means a position of an individual in a given society and culture. A given position (for example, the occupation of priest) may belong to many individuals. Social position influences social status. One can have several social positions, but only one social status.

Social positions an individual may hold fall into the categories of occupation (medical doctor, academic lecturer), profession (member of associations and organisations), family (parent, sibling, etc.), hobby (member of various clubs and organisations), among others. An individual is likely to create a personal hierarchy of such positions, where one will be a central position while the rest are perhiperal positions.

Social positions are visible if they require an individual to wear a uniform or some other kind of identifying mark. Often individual clothes or other attributes will advertise what social position one has at the moment. Non-visible social positions are called hidden. A position that is deemed the most important to given individual is called central, others are peripheral. If a sequence of positions is required to obtain a given position, it can be defined as a career, and change of position in this context is a promotion or demotion. Some social positions may make it easier for a given person to obtain others; in other cases, some positions may be restricted based to individuals meeting specific criteria.

Social position together with social role determines individual's place in the social environment and social organisation. A group of social positions will create a social class and a social circle.

A social conflict caused by inteference between social positions is called a position conflict. Status inconsistency is a situation when an individual's social positions have both positive and negative influences on his social status. For example, a teacher has a positive societal image (respect, prestige) which increases his status but may earn little money, which simultaneously decreases his status. A criminal, on the other hand, may have low social position but high income.

Status is a key idea in social stratification. Max Weber distinguishes status from social class, but some contemporary empirical sociologists fuse the two ideas into "Socio-Economic Status," usually operationalised as a simple index of income, education and occupational prestige.

Books

Michael Marmot (2004), The Status Syndrome: How Social Standing Affects Our Health and Longevity, Times Books
Botton, Alain De (2004), Status Anxiety, Hamish Hamilton

Credits

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 In more recent times, [[wealth]] and [[education]] are thought of as the main predictor for social status.  Cultural bonds, family ties, religion, race, gender, and occupation are all factors when examining social status.  For example, many societies place higher [[esteem]] on some cultures and races, but not others.  Different occupations bring different forms of respect, but occupation is not an indicator of social status.  A [[Physician|doctor]] will have higher status than a [[factory]] worker, but in some societies a [[white Anglo-Saxon Protestant]] doctor will have higher status than an [[immigrant]] doctor of [[minority]] religion.
-==Theories==
+==Concepts of Social Status==
-Social status is described in many different ways.  For instance, [[ascribed status]] is the status a person is born into, while [[achieved status]] is gained through ones own effort.
+Social status is conceptualized in many different ways.  For instance, [[ascribed status]] is the status a person is born into, while [[achieved status]] is gained through ones own effort.
 '''Achieved status''' is a [[sociology|sociological]] term denoting a [[social status|social position]] that a person assumes voluntarily which reflects personal skills, abilities, and efforts.  Examples of achieved status are being an Olympic athlete, being a criminal, or being a teacher.
-Achieved status is distinguished from [[ascribed status]] by virtue of being earned.  Most positions are a mixture of achievement and ascribment; for instance, a person who has achieved the status of being a doctor is more likely to have the ascribed status of being born into a well-off family.
 '''Ascribed status''' is a [[social status]] a person is given from birth or assumes involuntarily later in life.  For example, a person born into a wealthy family has a high ascribed status.  In contrast, an [[achieved status]] is a social position a person takes on voluntarily that reflects personal ability and merit.