SOCIAL STATUS: CHARACTERISTICS, TYPES, DISCRIMINATION, EXAMPLES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The social status is the position of an individual within a social group and responds to a hierarchy based on prestige. Although social status is not something tangible and there is no legal or official record of it, it is very present in all human societies, and even in some animal species.

The human being has always had the tendency to live in groups and throughout history shaped its social structure by making distinctions for the benefit of one group and to the detriment of others.

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These distinctions arise because there are social statuses that are more prestigious than others. An example of this is that a doctor is more socially appreciated than a mechanic, even if they both perform equally honest work.

This difference influences the quality of life, since it is common to associate a good social status with a privileged economic position, which includes a series of benefits associated with health, good education and the opportunity for well-paid jobs.

Characteristics of social status

- The status is determined by the cultural situation of a particular society, since the valuation changes according to the social group.

- Each status carries a certain prestige.

- Each individual must play a role in accordance with their status.

- As a result of status, society is divided into several groups.

- Some statuses are obtained from birth while others are achieved with effort and dedication.

Types of social status

Sociologists categorize status as follows:

Assigned or assigned status

It is about the status that the person receives due to their social position, their race, sex, age, nationality, among other aspects. It is not a goal that the individual sets out to achieve, since in most cases it already has it from birth.

For example: the status assigned or assigned is the one acquired by inheritance. The members of a royal family are part of this classification, like being a woman, a man or belonging to a certain country.

The term status, when defined as the position of an individual in a social group, can also refer to a person born in a low-income home.

It is convenient to note that status should not be confused with social class, since this person born with limited resources also has a status, although this is less privileged than that of others.

Acquired status

The status acquired comes from effort, self-worth and the decisions in life that have led the person to that classification. It does not come from birth and is assigned by the society that is responsible for giving an assessment to the individual.

Examples: Within this category are doctors, athletes, new entrepreneurs, professionals, musicians, actors.

They are individuals who, regardless of their economic or social origins, have reached a position of privilege.

Socioeconomic status

Linked to social status is economic status, the combination of which is highly valued by society.

Socioeconomic status indicates the position that the individual occupies in society, taking into account variables such as income, education and employment.

From this assessment arises the classic categorization of three socioeconomic levels: upper class; middle class, working class or lower class.

The aforementioned variables are of utmost importance and offer an answer to the previous comparison between a doctor and a mechanic, since the job is perceived as more prestigious to the extent that it has a better income.

The jobs least appreciated by society, despite being of great contribution to it, are jobs that involve more physical effort and less wage compensation.

The education variable is also highly valued, as it establishes the old perception, not so correct in some cases, that a good education guarantees a well-paid job.

This leads us to conclude that the lower class is characterized by having a poor educational level and lower income, compared to the upper class, which is usually accompanied by an outstanding academic training and better income.

Moral status vs. economic status

A good status is not only reserved for people with high monetary income, since an individual who has made important contributions to their community or is an example to follow, could have a high status without possessing a fortune.

While someone with a lot of money could have a comfortable economic position, but a low social value if the money is of doubtful origin.

Discrimination based on social status

Discrimination is an inappropriate social behavior that occurs in various areas of social interaction.

Each social group has its codes, customs, attitudes, in addition to the distinctive material signs inherent to its social position and those who do not comply with certain guidelines or do not belong to a specific social class, race or religion is usually rejected.

Here are some examples:

Discrimination based on origin or xenophobia

It is what happens when there is a rejection of individuals due to their nationality.

Examples of this behavior occur when an immigrant receives physical or psychological abuse for not belonging to the country where he is or is rejected from jobs despite having the necessary experience.

Discrimination by social class

It is one of the most common discriminations in the world. People in this group are mistreated for not having financial resources.

The term aporophobia (phobia of the poor) encapsulates this behavior that could exclude other types of discrimination, since a person who dislikes the poor tends to accept people with a comfortable position, regardless of their gender, possible disability, origin, race, among others.

Sexual or gender discrimination

It is the rejection that occurs towards a person due to their sex or sexual preference. It is generated especially against women and people belonging to the LGBT community (Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender).

Ageism

It is evidenced by offering a deal that denies people benefits because of their age. This means not hiring them in a job despite having the experience, preventing possible promotions or training, offering them inappropriate assignments, among other disadvantageous deals.

Age discrimination also affects young people, whose work starts are affected, since due to their inexperience they do not receive employment opportunities.

Unfortunately, age discrimination does not only affect the workplace. Elderly people around the world face health problems with inefficient care systems and the refusal to be admitted to health or life insurance after reaching a certain age.

Disability discrimination

It occurs against people with mental or physical disabilities, who need the support of society to educate themselves, get a job and earn a living like any other person.

However, it is usual that they are not the first option to occupy a position, in addition to facing daily inconveniences to enter or exit buildings, whose architecture has not been designed with them in mind.

Religious discrimination

It is linked to religious beliefs and the rejection that some people suffer for following a certain faith.

Historical examples are many, from the Jewish holocaust, through the cases of racial segregation in the United States and the recent reports of Islamophobia (hatred or fear of what is linked to Islam).

School discrimination

It is about bullying, a term that in recent years has acquired great relevance in society.

The presence of segregation also finds a place in the school micro-universe, which is why bullying is also another type of discrimination that physically and psychologically affects a sector of the student population.

Discrimination on social media

This is another of the modern discriminations that generates serious consequences every day. Harassment on social networks can be used by the same promoters of school bullying or be a means of abuse generated from another sector.

Its consequences are so serious that there are already suicide records among users of social networks who have been attacked in this way.

The battle for social inequality

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The struggle to defeat the difference between the groups or classes that make up a society has become a challenge that battles centuries of stratification and social hierarchy managed by the collective unconscious.

A British investigation carried out on the origins of students from the prestigious universities of Oxford and Cambridge found that social mobility (the ability to move from one social class to another) has changed very little in recent centuries.

The study indicates that the social status of the groups did not change significantly after the arrival of the industrial revolution, the universal vote or public education, evidence that man as a social being is not prone to changes.

In defense of the disadvantaged

It is probable that human beings continue their already historical way of separating themselves into strata, and that there are always people with more privileges than others.

The task must then focus on minimizing the negative impact that certain groups receive due to their social condition, through laws that guarantee their rights and protect them from discrimination.

References

1. Joseph Berger, Bernard. F. Cohen, Norris Zelditch Jr. (1971). Status characteristics and social interaction. Taken from sociology.stanford.edu
2. Social status, as hereditary as physical characteristics. (2014). Taken from elcorreo.com
3. Social discrimination. (2019). Taken from e-igualdad.net
4. The types of discrimination around the world. (2019). Taken from eacnur.org
5. Social Status. (2019). Taken from britannica.com
6. Economic or socioeconomic status. (2019). Taken from ideaseconomicas.org