Social status is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in society (one's social position). Prestige means good reputation or high esteem, although it originally meant a delusion or magicians trick (Latin præstigum). ... Young people interacting within an ethnically diverse society. ... In sociology, social status also known as Social position social status means a position of an individual in a given society and culture. ...

Status in different societies

In modern societies, occupation is usually thought of as the main determinant of status, but other memberships or affiliations (such as ethnic group, religion, gender, voluntary associations, fandom, hobby) can have an influence. For example, a doctor often has higher status than a factory worker, but in some societies a white Protestant doctor has higher status than a non-White, immigrant doctor of a minority religion.^{[citation needed]} In pre-modern societies, status differentiation is widely varied. In some cases it can be quite rigid and class based, such as with the Indian caste system. The importance of social status can be seen in the peer status hierarchy of athletes, cheerleaders, nerds, and weirdos in American high schools.^[1][2] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Gender in common usage refers to the sexual distinction between male and female. ... Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, dukedom, etc. ... A hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Suborder Apocrita See text for explanation. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... The definition of a minority group can vary, depending on specific context, but generally refers to either a sociological sub-group that does not form either a majority or a plurality of the total population, or a group that, while not necessarily a numerical minority, is disadvantaged or otherwise has... Caste systems are traditional, hereditary systems of social restriction and social stratification, enforced by law or common practice, based on endogamy, occupation, economic status, race, ethnicity, etc. ... Look up athlete in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Cheerleading is recreational activity and sometimes competitive sport involving organised routines including elements of dance and gymnastics to encourage crowds to cheer on sports teams. ... Look up nerd in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Weirdo means: 1# A strange, odd, eccentric person. ... As part of education in the United States, secondary education usually covers grades 5, 6, or 7 through twelve. ...

In other cases, status exists without class and/or informally, as is true with some Hunter-Gatherer societies such as the Khoisan, and some Indigenous Australian societies. In these cases, status is limited to specific personal relationships. For example, a !Kung Khoisan man is expected to take his mother-in-law (his wife's mother) seriously although the mother-in-law has no "status" over anyone except her son-in-law--and only then in specific contexts. All societies have a form of social status. In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... Khoisan (increasingly commonly spelled Khoesan or Khoe-San) is the name for two major ethnic groups of southern Africa. ... Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. ... Kung-ekoka or !Xũ or !Kung as it is often spelled in English, is a Northern Khoisan language of Namibia, Angola, and Botswana. ...

Status is an important idea in social stratification. Max Weber distinguishes status from social class^{[citation needed]}, though some contemporary empirical sociologists add the two ideas to create Socio-Economic Status or SES, usually operationalised as a simple index of income, education and occupational prestige. In sociology, social stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of social classes, castes, and strata within a society. ... For the painter, see Max Weber (artist). ... Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ... Socioeconomics or Socio-economics is the study of the relationship between economic activity and social life. ... Look up Index in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Income, generally defined, is the money that is received as a result of the normal business activities of an individual or a business. ...

Income and status

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. In contrast, a drug dealer, may have low social position though have a high income. Status inconsistency is a situation when an individual social positions have both positive and negative influences on his social status. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Various denominations of currency, one form of money Money is any good or token that functions as a medium of exchange that is socially and legally accepted in payment for goods and services and in settlement of debts. ... These lollipops, above, were found to contain heroin when inspected by the US Drug Enforcement Administration In jurisdictions where legislation restricts or prohibits the sale of certain popular drugs, it is common for an illegal drugs trade to develop. ...

Inborn & acquired status

Status is based on inborn characteristics, such as gender, are called ascribed statuses, while statuses that individuals gained thorough their own efforts are called achieved statuses. Specific behaviors are associated with social stigmas which can affect status. Ascribed status is a social position a person is given from birth or assumes involuntarily later in life. ... A doctor is an Achieved status Achieved status is a sociological term denoting a social position that a person assumes voluntarily which reflects personal skills, abilities, and efforts. ... Social stigma is severe social disapproval of personal characteristics or beliefs that are against cultural norms. ...

Success

Success is highly desired by human beings, the desire to be successful has been the fuel behind the great progress of humanity.

References

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

See also

• Ascribed status
• Achieved status
• Conspicuous consumption
• Power
• Social class
• Social hierarchy
• Social structure of the United States
• Status attainment
• Status class
• Status group
• Status symbol